Help me?
by djinni14
Summary: Help is needed but help is not guaranteed. Is she the Princess in distress or the heroine of the story. Is he the knight in shining armor or is he the soul stuck in prison? Is she rescued completely? Is he freed from his own prison? And just who is rescuing whom? Perhaps you are about to find out? NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Baby 2 (Now titled HELP ME)**

 **CH1 : November 17, 1999**

Jim and Johanna Beckett were escorted up to the Captain's office even though they both knew the way by heart.

"Mr. and Mrs. Becket, please have a seat. I don't need to know why you are here." He didn't either. He knew exactly why they were here. Today was their daughter's birthday. She would be turning 20.

"As I've told you over the phone we have no new leads on your daughter's disappearance," he was forced to tell them yet again.

"Surely you have something. People don't just up and disappear Captain," Jo pleaded one more time.

"I wish that wasn't the case Mrs. Beckett, I really do. However I have 8 new cases of girls that have gone missing in just the last two weeks. Granted most, if not all of these, are girls who have run away from home and will likely be found by vice working as prostitutes out on the streets if they ever are found." The Captain knew he had statistics to back it up.

"MY DAUGHTER ISN'T A HOOKER!" Jo took offense.

"No ma'am I'm sure she isn't, and I'm sure you've done your own research by now. Your daughter has now been officially been missing for 5 years and with no new leads for the last 4 of those years, it is officially a cold case. If we get something new we will re-open the case but I can't assign a detective to your daughter's case with nothing for him to go on. It's a waste of resources as you well know." He hated giving parents and families bad news, he really did. Plus these two were lawyers so they weren't your average unknowing parents.

"You don't think we'll ever find her do you?" Jo didn't want to give up, but even for her, 5 years was a long time.

"I'm not in the business of giving out false hope Mrs. Beckett. It's possible that a few years from now or even tomorrow that you will get closure. Even if by some miracle say we do find her, it has been 5 years. People change." He didn't want to say ' _found shriveled up like a prune, strung out on some drug. Or washed ashore half eaten by sharks or other marine life_ _,_ _or hacked to pieces by a propeller.'_

"Do you have any guesses Captain?" Jo wanted something to hang onto, literally anything.

"I'm sure you don't want to hear it but my first guess… There are people out there that want young, good looking women and they will pay thousands to get them," the Captain stated.

"Human trafficking." Jim finally spoke up.

"As sick as it sounds it is a possibility. Most of these people have an age range that they will accept. Too young, he doesn't want them. Too old or had them too long, he is no longer interested in keeping them," the Captain confirmed.

"And he'll let her go then?" Jo would grasp at anything.

"More likely he'd kill her and bury the body or dump her at sea. Most, if not all of these men are likely Middle Eastern or Asian, meaning they are way outside of my jurisdiction. The best I can hope for is that the FBI catches the local abductors and shares the records of what they find. Then I'll have something to work with." He hated it but it still happened. Some people were just plain sick.

Jim drove home while his wife did her best to hold herself together. "Held against her will, raped over and over again til she can't feel anything." It was more than Jo could take even this late in the game; she slumped over and cried. Jim parked the car where he could and held onto his wife and prayed.

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If anyone had noticed it, they would have seen a small tightly controlled whirlwind of clouds that when gone, left a well-dressed white male standing there holding an orange and white tabby cat.

"MEOW!" _This is not the right spot._

"Yes, I'm well aware of that Alexis, thank you for pointing that out." Rick didn't know who to be angry at the most - the cat, himself, or the stupid computer that took his instructions just a little too literally. This was a safe spot, yes, but the instrument cluster of the rocket was UP THERE. He looked up.

"You want to stay here or come with?" he asked, looking down at Alexis who was in his hands.

It took Alexis a moment. "Meow?" _With?_

So he opened his jacket a bit, stuffed her inside, and started climbing. Fortunately the gantry was easy to climb since the rocket didn't have a payload or astronauts. But that meant there was no elevator. It was just a test rocket, but if it functioned correctly it could easily reach places like Japan, the Philippines, other countries, or islands that were vital to the United States and needed their protection. Hence this rocket had to fail, and that was where he came into play.

He reached the top arm that extended out to the rocket. It was there that he took Alexis out of his jacket, placed her on the arm, and started crawling out to the rocket. His primary concern was wondering if the arm was designed to hold his weight. He wasn't fat. In fact his fat ratio was actually rather low. Not that he was overly muscled either; he was what some people would call broad-chested and had big bones and big hands.

He finally reached the rocket, pointed one finger at the screws that held the access panel in place and watched them fall all the way to the ground. The work space was tight and only allowed the use of one hand, so it was point a finger at a wire and cut it. Point a finger and bind that wire to another wire or connector.

"Meow?" _It's taking too long._

"I'm working as fast as I can. Perhaps you would care to lend a paw?" he asked, smiling since he knew what the answer would be.

"MEOW!" _Not funny._

He just kept on working.

"MEOW!" _There are people on the ground._

He hurriedly finished the last wire and sat up. He took Alexis in his arms and with the thumb of one hand, pressed it into the palm of his other hand. The result was the sudden burst of a mini whirlwind of clouds that when dispersed left nothing behind.

Rick and Alexis arrived outside of the main building that housed the control room that was used to oversee the firing of their new rocket. He set her down and walked around the building to a side door and found it locked. He simply pointed his finger and tried again, getting the door to open easily. It was a hallway that had a door at the end meant for an emergency exit. He walked down it towards what he hoped was the control room.

Rick reached for the handle.

"MEOW!" _Behind you!_

He spun in place and saw two guards just turning a corner. He lifted his hand and displayed two fingers like the old hippy peace sign only he pointed them at the guards and watched them both suddenly freeze in place. As he walked up to both of them they were both smiling with happy and contented smiles on their faces.

"Why don't you two just sit right down here and have a nice nap," he suggested as he uses a hand on each to push them down to the floor. "That's it, think happy thoughts. Don't even think about what Kim is going to do to you and your families after this."

Kim was too stupid to put 2+2 together and figure out that the rocket test had been sabotaged, however having two of his guards sleeping it off in the hallway was likely a death sentence. Would Kim be in a good mood and have them killed quick with a bullet to the head, or would he be in a bad mood and have them tortured next to their families for the next several weeks

Turned out the control room had a glass wall with a small viewing gallery encased in glass with a side door leading into each room. "These people have been watching too many movies. Can't they come up with something original?" He was not impressed and why did they need a viewing room anyway? Then it hit him, it gave the Supreme Leader a place to sit and watch everything.

Rick stepped easily into the viewing room and quickly worked out that the window looking out into the control room was actually a one-way mirror. He figured that it kept all of the employees in that room on their toes since they never knew if Kim was in that room at any given point in time.

It did, however, allow Rick to stand right up next to the glass and look in and search the room for the lead designer, a Mr. Medelev.

"Meow?" _See him?_

He didn't answer right away since he needed to be sure. "Nothing," he confirmed. Even coming here he knew there was a 38% chance that Medelev wouldn't be here to watch his own rocket launch. That only left one spot for him to search. He bent down, picked up Alexis and pressed his thumb into the palm of his other hand which created a mini whirlwind of clouds that left an empty space behind.

Now he was standing outside of a home in the woods untold miles away from the launch site. For this country it was a nice house, made of good materials and rather large. Problem was he didn't have a floor plan for it so this was going to take a little time. He put Alexis down and started walking towards the front door. Just as it opened, out came a guard who quickly spotted Rick and raised his AK-47 to fill him full of holes. He raised his hand and watched the guard freeze in place and start sporting a large smile.

As before, he walked up to him and helped him to sit on the front porch. "You take a nice nap, perfectly comfortable out here." He even let him keep his weapon.

Alexis arched her back and hissed viciously as the hairs on her back pointed straight up. She took off like a shot and started running. Rick noticed before she got out of sight that while running she had changed into her Bengal tiger form as he heard a dog bark. The dog only barked once, which was followed by the sound of it in severe pain, followed by a second or two of whimpering.

He simply waited and soon Alexis came bounding back around into view, back to looking like an orange and white tabby cat.

"Meow." _All clear._ She sat down next to him and started licking her paws. ALEXIS HATED DOGS!

He opened the front door and went inside with Alexis right behind him. It was a well-appointed front sitting room with no one occupying it at the moment. It did have 2 different exits out of this room that took one further into the house. "50-50," he whispered to himself and took the one on the left. It turned out to be a short hallway with a door on either side along with one at the end.

The doors on the sides turned out to be a spare bedroom and a guards' room that had a large radio system set up in it. The room was empty which told him something he didn't like. It meant all of the guards were out on patrol and could be anywhere.

Still he stepped inside and raised his hand. He spread his fingers wide and fanned his hand all over the equipment and watched as the power to all of it went out. "Let's see them fix that," he whispered to himself.

That only left the door that he was standing in front of. He tested the door and found it locked, so he pointed a finger at the lock and tried it again, getting it to open easily.

He stepped inside with Alexis right behind him. What they found was a room filled with mattresses lying on the floor with someone on all of them except for one.

"Meow?" _What is this place?_ Alexis didn't like it.

He stepped over to the closest mattress and kneeled down to look at the woman on it. She was Asian, young, and lovely looking. It also looked like she was awake. He used his fingers to force her eye open wider. "Drugged," he murmured.

"Meow." _Door._

He cursed internally, he had let what he found affect him and hadn't covered his six. He raised a hand, pointed at the door, and watched it close abruptly.

He was looking at another of the 5 women that were in there, found her equally clothed, which was barely and left little to the imagination. "Drugged," he commented to himself as he removed his hand from her eye.

"Meow?" _Look at this one?_

He stood and walked over to the one Alexis was now sitting next to. This one was different than the others. She was also scantily clad that showed she had long legs, small breasts, and really long brown hair. "She's Caucasian." Kneeling down, he saw that like the others she was awake as he pulled her eye open. "Drugged." He also noticed that she was the only one hooked up to an IV. Looking at the bag told him nothing.

Alexis arched her back and hissed just as the door opened revealing two guards dragging a naked Asian girl between them into the room and started towards the empty mattress. They didn't make it that far. They spotted Rick, dropped the girl, and swung their AK-47s around to take him prisoner. He simply lifted his arm, pointed at them with two fingers, watched them freeze in place, and start smiling. He stood up and walked over to them.

"Sit down right there and take a nice nap. I'm sure he'll share his women with you. That's it, sit right there and go to sleep." Rick stepped over and picked up the girl and placed her on the empty mattress.

The issue was now he had a new problem. He was here to get the lead rocket scientist. The rocket would fail yes, but they would just build another one. If their lead scientist suddenly didn't even know how to tie his own shoes, it would slow them down even more.

But what was he going to do with all of these women?

"Meow." _We can't leave them here._ Alexis's meow sounded sick.

He took a cursory look at the girl they just brought in. "Raped and recently." He tried to be clinical about it, but it was difficult. It meant all of the others had been probably been raped repeatedly since they had gotten there.

He leaned down and pulled her eye open wide. "Drugged." And she was awake. He even saw a single tear escape as her eyes were looking straight up.

He made up his mind, but he needed help to accomplish this. He stepped over to the Caucasian women, disconnected the IV, placed the bag on her stomach, and lifted her up off the mattress. "I'll be right back, try not to go anywhere." He pressed his thumb into his palm and he and the woman disappeared in a mini whirlwind of clouds.

He arrived at home and began walking towards a mostly blank wall that only had a picture hanging on it. "B5 activate," he called out as he walked. The plain wall quickly turned into a wall of blinking lights as a control panel tilted out that had a simple keyboard along with a number of silver-looking thin dials. "B5 Active," a soft female voice responded.

"Activate medical bed," he ordered. As he reached the wall a table pivoted out and was cantilevered out from the wall, allowing him to place the woman on the bed. "Analysis bay," he asked and placed the bag into it. "Begin medical analysis of patient and the bag," he commanded and then asked for something else.

"I have six Asian women that appear to be drugged and raped repeatedly. I need six different medical establishments that can handle them and program that into my teleport crystal," he commanded.

"Scanning… Six locations established. Transfer complete. One is in Seoul, South Korea, three are in Japan, one is in the Philippines, and one is in China," the soft female voice responded.

Satisfied that he had done what he could for the other six, he pressed the gem buried in the palm of his hand and was back in the room with the women and Alexis. "Stay here Alexis," he told her. He picked up each woman and took them one by one to the hospitals that B5 had found for him.

He wasn't surprised that each hospital was already waiting for him, knowing that the hospital already had money in an account for each of the women for the hospital to charge their work onto, thanks to B5 who was sometimes a mind reader, or so it seemed.

Rick was soon back in a now empty room that only had Alexis in it. "Let's go find our guy, I'm suddenly not in a good mood," he informed Alexis as they walked to the door.

"MEOW!" _He needs to suffer._ Alexis was angry too.

He found a guard at a door that was now sitting on the floor with his AK-47, taking a nap. On the other side of the door was an opulent room with a large four poster bed. It was very masculine looking and the bed was still a mess. He could hear the shower running, went to that open door, and could see a male in the shower. He turned to Alexis. "Take this place apart." Rick stepped into the bathroom, yanked the shower door open and pointed his finger at him. He watched him freeze in place as a large smile formed on his face.

The man's body was on the floor of the bathroom as Rick placed his hand on his head. He listened to the man scream as his mind was ripped to pieces. Physically the man was fine, mentally he was going to be a vegetable after this. Rick could hear Alexis roaring along with the sounds of the bed, dresser, and everything else in the bedroom being broken as she took out her rage on the room, while he listened to their target scream in pain.

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I agree with several of the other writers, writing for Castle fan fic is difficult under the present circumstances considering the start of season 8. I'm recording them from show #4 on and perhaps one day I'll watch them. For now I'm done watching Castle and keeping the last show of season 7 as the final show and the end of the show.


	2. Chapter 2

**CH2**

Rick picked Alexis up who was back in her orange and white tabby cat form as he looked around at the mess that was the bedroom. If it wasn't bolted down it was broken, even the sheets were shredded. Alexis must have been really angry. "Let's go home." The mission was over. He could monitor the destruction of the rocket from there.

He pressed his thumb into his palm and a mini whirlwind of clouds formed on each end, one going and one coming. There really was no air movement and there was no sound of any kind. The whirling cloud look was just a product of the action itself. The cloud was mostly white with a little dark mixed in, making it look gray in places.

He set Alexis down and walked over to B5 and the woman that was still on the table. "Analysis completion?" he wanted an update.

"Analysis of the drugs in the bag is complete. It is a mixture of drugs meant to kill the recipient slowly by shutting down all of her organs," the soft voice of B5 responded.

"He was tired of her and was getting rid of her," Rick speculated.

"Additional information is required before that theory can be confirmed," B5 responded. He ignored her comment. "Analysis of the woman herself?"

"The woman is in critical condition. The drugs she was given are only accelerating what the drugs she had been given over a period of time had already done. I am still analyzing the drugs that she had been given and will need to run a number of simulations to determine how they interact with each other."

"Both kidneys are near failure, as is her liver. She has had sexual intercourse several times over an extended period of time," B5 was interrupted. "You mean raped," he said flatly. "The type of damage to the vulva area as well as the vaginal cavity suggests this, yes. In addition the female has had a pregnancy at one time, likely roughly a year ago. The pregnancy was aborted, however the procedure used damaged her severely leaving the female infertile. Not that it matters, the mixture of drugs that she had been given has mutated all of her eggs. If the pregnancy had not been aborted, she would have had a miscarriage."

"The combination of drugs has had a number of affects in addition to those already mentioned. The female's heart walls are thinning and cardiac arrest is imminent. In addition the fluid in her brain along with the electrical firing patterns have been altered," B5 told him.

"Humor me and explain it in English please," he asked, even though he already knew, though Alexis didn't.

"No amount of repair will restore her memories completely. At this time I'm unable to determine just how many of her memories have been affected. It may be several, it may be only a few, or it may be almost all of them. If the female wakes she may be little more than a mental vegetable," B5 warned him.

"Begin repairs of the female starting with her heart, repair as many of her memory connections as you can, and begin intravenous feeding, she is way too thin," he ordered.

"I will need clearance to begin work on a human that is not associated with… " he interrupted her. "I am Richard Castle, Class One Supervisor Agent #194, you will do as you are told and begin repairs of the female in the medical bed. …NOW!" He didn't want to hear anything about red tape. He was a Class One Supervisor damn it! He didn't have to put up with this shit.

"MEOW!" _Do as you're told you stupid machine._ Alexis was more than willing to back up Rick.

B5 was silent. The blinking and clicking accelerated before going mostly quiet again. "Beginning reconstruction of the female in the medical bed," B5 responded as a plastic dome slid over top of her and encased her on the medical bed. He sighed heavily, relieved that he had actually won a round with this temperamental machine. There were days he wondered if he had been assigned this unit just to piss him off.

"You hungry Alexis?" He turned and headed for the kitchen since he knew he was.

"MEOW!" _I'm starving._

He opened a cabinet, pulled out a can of Canidae Grain Free PURE Salmon Recipe, and opened it using the ringed pop top. Alexis rubbed herself up against Rick's legs. "Meow!" _Fresh canned Salmon. …YES!_ "Meow?" _Anything else?_

He emptied the can onto her glass plate and pulled out a bag of dry cat food, Canidae Grain Free PURE Ocean with fresh tuna, sprinkled some of that on top of the salmon, and placed the glass plate on the edge of the countertop. She leapt up onto the countertop with ease and started devouring her meal.

Rick gave her one long pet across her back and went to work on his own dinner leaving her to eat her meal in peace.

He was soon sitting at the dining room table eating his handmade spaghetti with meat sauce that was made from scratch, no jar sauces for him.

"Meow? …Purr." Alexis rubbed herself up against his legs switching from one leg to another. _Aren't you going to share?_

"Haven't you had enough? You know what happened the last time I gave you some of this," he reminded her.

She stopped rubbing up against his legs and bounded to her kitty litter box that was hidden away allowing her to poop and pee in peace.

He was cleaning up his and Alexis's dishes when she came back and sat on the floor and looked up at the lady on the table.

"Meow?" _Aren't you done yet?_

"B5 will be done when she's done Alexis. Harassing her isn't going to speed up the process. Be thankful we found her when we did," he answered from the kitchen. He had just turned on the dishwasher.

"Meow?" _Can we keep her?_

"She has a life Alexis. She doesn't belong to us. Just because we found her doesn't make her ours," he corrected her, never having seen this behavior from her before.

"Meow." _Please?_

He ignored her and sat down on his sofa. He picked up his tablet to select what their next project would be. He was reading from his list and was getting around to reading the synopsis for each case when Alexis showed up in his lap and started rubbing herself up against him while purring softly.

"We're not keeping her Alexis. She has a life and probably parents who love her and miss her." He knew this trick and tried to study his pad.

Alexis was not to be deterred. "Meow?" _Please? Finder's keepers._

She tried again, only to have Rick pick her up and place her beside him on the sofa sectional.

Alexis wasn't happy and moved away from him. She sat on the floor under the medical bed.

"Do not jump up there Alexis," he called from the living room never taking his eyes off of his pad.

"Rowal," she rumbled. Sometimes Alexis hated that they knew each other so well.

"Meow?" _How old is she?_

B5's lights and sounds increased for a second. "Degradation of her cells from the drugs would suggest that she is or is close to being 20 years old," B5 responded to Alexis's question.

"Meow?" _Will she die?_ Alexis wanted to keep her so that meant she had to live.

"Negative, however I'm unable at this time to ascertain what kind of life she will have until the damage to her memories can be ascertained," B5 responded.

"Meow." _I still think we should keep her._ She laid down on the floor while keeping her eyes on the woman on the table. Rick and B5 remained silent.

Alexis didn't mean to, she really didn't, but she worked out that she had fallen asleep and was laying in some weird manner that only a cat could accomplish. She got up and streeeetched out her body, doing her best not to rake her claws over anything. She had her cat tree to do that to.

"Meow?" _How is she?_ Alexis really wanted to know.

"She's still sleeping and B5 still has her in the medical coffin," he told her. He called it a coffin because it was about the size of one. "B5 has my list if you are interested. I'm going to go get some writing done, since it pays the bills," he said to Alexis and headed for his office to see if he could finish the next Derek Storm book.

He was lost in his typing when his leg suddenly hurt. "OW!" Rick was ready to reach down and slap whatever had hurt him when he saw that it was Alexis. He was all set to ask her why she had done that when he heard the phone ring. That explained why Alexis had scratched him lightly; he had been so zoned out he hadn't heard it. Problem was he was still zoned out when he answered it by not looking at the caller ID. "Castle."

"IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME RICHARD!" Gina didn't sound happy.

"Gina? …What do you want?" He shook his head to get his mind out of his book and bleeding leg.

"Where are you Richard?" Her question gave him the impression that he should already know."I left you a message telling you to attend a meeting in my office…30 minutes ago," she informed him.

"I've been out of town Gina. I don't know anything about a meeting. You're going to have to reschedule it after you tell me what it's regarding," he said to her.

"I told you what it was about in my message, Richard. If you get here inside of 30 minutes you'll only be an hour late." And she hung up, forcing him to hang up.

"MEOW!" _Please let me bite her. I'm not afraid I'll catch something._

He was so tempted, but he saved his work, closed his laptop, and went searching for his keys. He didn't drive much, but he felt like doing it this time. Besides maybe he would hit a traffic jam and be even later.

Black Pawn had come recommended for his first book and while Gina was competent in her work, it was her personality, amongst other things, that was irking him. He wanted to be nice, he really did, but there were days…

He opened the apartment door and let Alexis dart out. He took the elevator down to the garage where he pressed the remote to unlock the doors, opened the driver's door, watched Alexis bound into the car, and settle in the passenger seat. He pressed the power button to what should have been the radio only to watch a screen slide out and run a full diagnostic of the entire car.

Satisfied, he started the car and listened to the 1999 Acura Targa Computech Supercharged NSX fire up with its deep throated roar. It was a V6 supercharged engine with 425 horse power along with a few extras that his friends had added. They were nothing really. He was still miffed that they couldn't give him one of those James Bond cars.

This car didn't have rockets, machine guns, or lasers in the wheels, an ejector seat, or even a self-destruct circuit. It did, however have the ability to run a full diagnostic to determine if someone had cut the brake lines, or planted a bomb connected to the ignition system, or attached any foreign object to his car. It could shoot darts at cars or even people that he could use the tracking system in his car to follow wherever they went. It was even detachable so he could take it with him. It also had an Nitrous Oxide Systems canister secured in the trunk. He could catch up to or get away from pretty much anyone he wanted to by using it or simply press the gem in his hand to get out of his car if things went to hell.

Traffic was slow but there was no giant pile up to delay him further. Still if Gina was right, he was now almost 1-1/2 hours late to this meeting that he knew nothing about.

Rick picked up Alexis, carried her in the elevator, and into Black Pawn's office. "She's expecting you Mr. Castle." The receptionist pointed to the conference room and said a silent prayer for him as he turned to go. Gina had been chomping at the bit all day ever since she had come in this morning.

"Gina?" Rick walked into the conference room that only had her in it and set Alexis down on the floor as he chose a chair to sit in.

"I thought I told you to never bring that…animal in here," Gina bit out.

"Meow." _Please let me bite her._

"Alexis is my cat, Gina. Just a cat, not some dumb animal infested with fleas that carry the plague. And if she does end up biting you, you probably had it coming. So why am I here?" He leaned down, picked up Alexis, put her in his lap, and began petting her to help keep her quiet.

"Your next book is due soon Richard and frankly Black Pawn is concerned whether you will meet your deadline," Gina started off with.

"I'll meet my obligations just fine, and if you must know I was busy working on my book when you interrupted me," he informed her.

"Be that as it may, Black Pawn is concerned," Gina repeated.

"Black Pawn or you, Gina?" he countered.

"I'm doing what I can to shield you, Richard. It would help if you gave me something to work with," she replied.

"You know I send things when I'm done with them Gina, that's how this contract works," he reminded her again.

"If you would accept coming with me on book signings and other presentations, we could get your name out there. Let the public see you," Gina tried again.

"Black Pawn accepted the contract as stipulated despite your objections. I have no desire to spend my days and evenings with you in some other city or state Gina." Rick didn't want to piss her off, he didn't. She was good at her job.

"And what's so wrong about spending time with me Richard? I know I make heads turn and I take good care of my body," Gina replied haughtily, only to have Alexis leap out of Rick's lap and land on the table. She began approaching Gina ready to pounce on her and rip her eyes out as she hissed with every step.

"MEOW/HISS!" _I'm going to hurt her and you can't stop me._ Alexis took another step and they both watched Gina shriek and push her chair back til it hit the wall.

"Do something with that _THING_ , Richard." Gina was still in her seat, looking for the closest way out of there.

"Alexis hates you, Gina and with good reason it would seem." Rick could read between the lines just as easily as Alexis.

He got up and picked up Alexis who hissed at Gina. "I'm going now Gina. When I'm done with my book I'll send it to you and not before. I'll wait and see if it is the very last book Black Pawn sees from me. I do know that it will be the very last book _**you**_ will ever see from me." Rick just fired Gina.

Gina had overstepped her place and he had no problem cutting her loose. There had been a time when he would have gladly taken her to bed for a quick roll in the hay with no future beyond that. But those days were long over. His years of training had seen to that.

He went through reception to leave. "Goodbye, I will not be back," he told the receptionist.

They were soon on their way home. "Meow." _You should have let me at least scratch her._ Alexis was not happy and just sat in the passenger seat and brooded.

Rick parked and carried Alexis back upstairs. He placed his hand on the door, inserted his key in the lock, and opened it. Stepping inside he reset the alarm for "Home" with the door locked. He put Alexis down and watched her bound for B5 and the woman being cared for by her.

What Alexis wanted to do was jump up and place her nose in the woman's face and find out how she was doing, but that stupid plastic dome was still in place. "MEOW!?" _How is she?_

"The female's statistics remain unchanged," B5 responded.

"Give B5 a chance Alexis, Rome wasn't built in a day," he chastised her and went back to his writing. To finish getting rid of Gina he needed to finish his book and get it published. After that he would restructure his contract with Black Pawn or find another publisher.

All of his contracts with Black Pawn were one book deals based on how good the sales were of the previous book. He accepted no travel and no book signings of any kind. Black Pawn was forbidden from injecting themselves into his personal life. They were his publisher only and nothing else. Gina may have technically violated his contract terms with Black Pawn though it was simply his word against hers.

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Jo was lying on the sofa and had retreated from everything and everyone yet again. Jim had gone through this more than once with her. He really was worried for his wife. They both missed Katie and it hurt not knowing what happened to her. But his wife was taking it harder than him.

"Jo?" Jim was down on his knees to look her in the eye. "Jo, none of this is your fault, you know that." He tried to reach her, however she just laid there staring.

She had already quit her job and had taken a part time job in a different law firm than his since his didn't need or want a part timer. Thankfully she was off today. Jim would drop her off at her door at work tomorrow and do what he could to meet her for lunch somewhere.

Then he had an idea, it had worked in the past, he just needed it to work again. Jim was soon back with a book in one hand and a bowl of ice cream in the other. "Read your book, Jo and you can join me in a bowl of ice cream." He held the cover in front of her face so she couldn't miss it.

"FLOWERS FOR YOUR GRAVE"

She smiled as she took the book and sat up looking a little more alive. Jo reached out her hand for the spoon except Jim took it away from her reach. "What about my ice cream?" she questioned.

"Not until you finish at least one chapter," Jim countered as he sat in an arm chair and ate his ice cream in front of her as Jo stuck her tongue out at him. Her husband was being mean.


	3. Chapter 3

**CH3**

Rick woke up next morning, took a shower, and walked out of his bedroom headed for the kitchen to make a breakfast sandwich for himself. Along the way he passed by B5 and their patient. He also saw Alexis sitting on the floor looking up at the lady on the medical bed. He didn't even remotely understand why Alexis was so infatuated with her.

Still he pulled out another can of cat food, popped it open, and almost instantly found Alexis rubbing up against and through his legs.

"Meow." _Pure Turkey and Rabbit, yum._ Alexis started purring as Rick sprinkled it with the same dry cat food and placed it on the countertop near the end. She jumped up to eat while Rick ate his sandwich.

"B5, have you done a DNA analysis?"

"Negative, commencing now."

"Also take a picture of her face and see if you can find a match. It would be good to have a name instead of being forced to make one up. Oh, and do the same for dental records and fingerprints and see if there is a match on record."

"Acknowledged."

"B5 have you had enough time to determine how long she has been on these drugs?" If it was only a year she likely had some ID, if not it was going to make it more difficult.

"Negative, using the drugs will not allow for a proper analysis of how long she has been injected with them. There is too much damage throughout her body to determine her original DNA make-up. I may be able to use a section of some of her bones and analyze the marrow that is inside them. It should be possible to ascertain a possible age of when the first injection was given to her."

"Proceed, just don't slow down her physical recovery to perform these tests."

"Acknowledged."

"Can you provide a time frame for completion of all the body repairs, including memory?" Rick asked, wondering how long they were going to have company.

"Negative. Estimate at this time is a minimum of several weeks, possibly months."

"I was sort of hoping for a more 6 days kind of answer." Rick didn't have guests so having someone come by and see all of this wasn't a worry. Still anything that messed up his routine was a problem.

Speaking of routine, Rick watched as 2 of the little yellow DRD's came into the kitchen and started cleaning the floor. The things always got Alexis up on her feet as she stared each of them down. She watched them travel all over the floor and then up the wall. These two left the kitchen equipment alone. Alexis watched them leave and didn't calm down again until they were gone.

"They're just cleaning the house Alexis, they're not going to bite you." Rick stroked his hand across her back and then scratched the side of her face.

"Meow." _You say that today, what about tomorrow?_

"I'm going to go for a swim if you care to join me," he informed Alexis and walked out of the kitchen only to watch her bound past him. She beat him down the stairs to the first floor and then down the stairs to the basement.

Her ball, a little bigger than a basketball, was already in the pool so she ran part way down the side, changed into a Bengal tiger, and jumped for her ball. SPLASH! Her ball was trapped under her body for a moment before being launched out of the pool, hitting a wall. She watched it find its way back into the pool since there was only enough space to walk down each side and at the far end where the Jacuzzi was located.

She was whacking her big blue ball, watching it bounce off of a wall and end up back in the pool where she would paddle like mad to reach it again. It was about then that Rick stepped out of a side room down the hall dressed in swim trunks. Since Alexis and her size was taking up most of the pool, he turned on the Jacuzzi and settled in with a heavy sigh, letting the jets work their magic on his body.

He was just sitting there enjoying it when he finally noticed that Alexis had calmed down and was lying on the top step with part of her body in the pool while she used one of her front paws to slap the water. He was still chuckling inside as he watched her lounging in the pool as a tiger. If she was still in her kitty cat form and she got wet, she would throw a fit. Just a flick of a wet hand at her would set her off.

Rick got out of the Jacuzzi, turned it off, walked into the pool, and started doing laps. They weren't true laps since the pool was somewhere between 1/3 and ½ the length of an Olympic sized pool. Still he didn't mind turning around a lot; he got some good exercise while swimming.

Eventually he gave up swimming and sat next to Alexis who was still lounging in the shallow end. Rick petted her big body and slapped her side lightly. "You planning on staying in this form?" he asked her since if she did, there were things he had to do.

"Growl." _Yes please._

"Come on then, we have to dry you off." He patted her big belly, stood up, and walked to the large bathroom that was down there.

When he got the house, well... more like found out this house was his since he didn't choose it, there were two small bathrooms and a tiny exercise room. He had a contractor come in, merge the two bathrooms into one big one, got rid of the two closets that separated the exercise room from a large storage room, and made the combined space a much larger exercise and weight room.

Also down in the basement was the laundry room with a laundry chute from the bedrooms on the third and fourth floors. It still left him two storage rooms along with the mechanical room that held the furnace with A/C unit along with the pool equipment, Hepa filter and humidifier, as well as the 4 tankless water heaters it took to create hot water for all 5 full bathrooms and 3 half bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry.

The first floor had a foyer that was closed off from the rest of the house and a single car garage which was fine since he only had the one car. It also had a large beautiful curved staircase that went up to the third floor. At the far end was the game room with pool table, that had walls filled with books. Beyond that was an outdoor garden that had a small seating area. It was part grass and part hardscape. It also had one of the half baths.

The second floor had a massive kitchen that had a large eat-in dining room with a table that could seat 8 people. The kitchen had light gray cabinets with gold trim everywhere. It had a massive 4 burner range that had a gas grill and a flat griddle space. There were double ovens. The main sink was in the island along with the dishwasher. The opposite wall from the kitchen held B5 that presently had a female on its medical table.

The other half of the space was a massive living room. The living room had hardwood floors that were reddish in color laid in a herringbone pattern and had a gas fireplace. There was another of the half baths.

The third floor had two master bedrooms, one of which had a gas fireplace. It also had two en-suite bathrooms. They both had the same floor as the living room while one of the rooms was decorated in a French Classical flair reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles.

The fourth floor was a copy of the third floor.

The fifth floor had a video theater room that could seat 8 with dark carpet on the floor, dark wood on the ceiling with pot lights. The chairs were reddish in color with gold trim in a crisscross pattern. The curtains hanging from the ceiling to cover the windows were in a dark burgundy color with gold trim. In the back was all of the equipment along with a popcorn machine. It had a 235-inch diagonal screen.

The other side of the house held his office that was also part library and had the last of the gas fireplaces. It, like several of the other rooms, utilized the same wood floors in the familiar herringbone pattern.

That just left the roof deck which had a three seasons room at one end that could be used to keep the bugs out. There was also an elevator machine room that allowed access from the basement all the way to the roof along with a sunning deck for tanning. It was also the location of the outdoor grill.

Rick let Alexis into the bathroom and turned on the big fan to have air blow onto one big wet cat. It was the other reason that she liked using the pool so much. It allowed her to shove her face up against the fan and grin wide as it blew air in her face. He was stepping into the shower. "You know dogs stick their heads out car windows just like that," he teased.

"Growl!" _Let's see you insult me without a face._

Chuckling as he escaped into the shower, he came back out, dried himself and dressed in the same clothes, and went upstairs with Alexis right behind him, now mostly dry.

Rick went looking through his refrigerator, pulled out a 9 ounce sirloin steak, put it on a plate, and placed the plate on the floor. He knew that Alexis as a kitty needed only a little food; Alexis as a Bengal tiger needed a steak or two. "This is the last one so I need to go shopping later," he warned her.

She had it devoured in seconds and started trotting out of the kitchen. "Going somewhere?" he called after her and noticed that she didn't bother to respond. Still he had a good idea and had he bothered to look he would find that he was right. She trotted outside onto the back patio and started rolling around in the grass before laying out in the sun.

Rick went over to the medical bed and looked down on his guest, wondering who she was and how long she had been trapped there. "Progress?"

The lights blinked a little. "Heart wall is now 90% of normal. Beginning reconstruction of her kidneys and liver immediately after her blood has been cleaned of all the drugs she has been given which stands at 40% at this time. Estimate another 24 hours till the blood has been cleaned."

"Do I need to go get anything that you need? Blood, antibiotics or something else?" He would add them to his list when he left to go get more groceries for himself and Alexis.

"Negative. I am a B5 unit and capable of manufacturing everything I need."

He wasn't sure if he was insulted or not, still he appreciated the directness of the B5 unit.

"I'm going to go grocery shopping, call me if something comes up," he told the unit and picked up his car keys on his way down to the car.

Rick was back an hour later and was placing his bags in the elevator. It had a secondary door that allowed access to the garage after he placed his palm up against the door and placed his key in the lock.

Up only one floor he picked up a couple of the bags and turned left into the kitchen where he found Alexis still in tiger form keeping an eye on their guest. He was just putting his groceries away when he heard the sound of a female coughing.

Alexis immediately got up with Rick along beside her. "B5?" He wanted to know what was going on. "I do not want to keep her unconscious using sedatives while trying to clean her blood of drugs. She will be conscious for the next few hours but is not likely to retain any knowledge of this time." B5 still had a long way to go to try and give her access to her memories.

Rick looked down through the glass and saw that her eyes were open again. They were a nice hazel color bordering on green. "Hi, how do you feel?" he tried. It looked like she tried to talk but all that came out was a cough. A tube came up out of the bed and curved to squirt a tiny amount of water between her lips before withdrawing again.

"Who? …Where?" Her eyes were looking around till they landed on the eyes of a Bengal tiger and never left them again as she went to sleep naturally.

"Growl." _Apparently I made an impression._

He suddenly saw trouble ahead. They really needed to find out who she was and get her out of his home. Alexis was going to kill him since it was obvious that she was attached to this woman for some reason. Not wanting to deal with it right now, he said, "I'm going to go finish my book so I can get rid of Gina, legally," and headed for his desk on the 5th floor.

"Growl!" _You really should give her to me. I know just what to do with her._

Rick didn't respond to her provocation and just kept walking.

"Growl!" _I'd rip her heart out of her chest and devour it, if she had one to start with._ Alexis went back to watching the woman on the medical bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXxxxXXxxXxXxXxXx

"Feeling better?" Jim asked his wife as she scraped the last little bit of ice cream out of her bowl and placed the spoon in her mouth. Jo sighed after putting her spoon in her empty bowl and handed it over. "I'm sorry honey. I just …it's hard you know? I know she was starting to display a little rebellion but that's all it was. Katie was just testing her boundaries and trying to figure out who she was. Who she wanted to be." Johanna slumped and hung her head.

He set the bowl aside and lifted her head up so he could see her. "I know Jo, I know exactly how you feel. She left to go meet some of her high school friends and never made it. We don't even know how she was planning on meeting them there." Jim hugged her tight.

"Even if she somehow hates us, I just want to know that she's alive and happy." Johanna was willing to accept almost anything now.

"Drive you into work tomorrow?" he asked, changing the subject, getting Johanna to nod her head. "You're not sorry you quit your job and took this one?" Jim questioned her yet again. He knew her reasons, it was just that this job just wasn't her. "I'm fine honey, honest. I need to keep busy or I'll go mad. I know what you're thinking but I'm not sorry. One of us had to be available and keep looking for Katie. I'm not sorry I did it."

"So long as you're sure. I'm going to the store. You ate up all the ice cream," Jim teased her a little. "Think I'm going to need some more, do you?" Johanna asked, arching an eyebrow. "I happen to still love you and I always will, so as a good husband I need to be prepared at all times." He leaned in to kiss her. Johanna simply grinned before she kissed him back. "I'm a lucky lady." She gave him another quick kiss.

"Yes, you are."

"You better go get my ice cream before you need the use of our first-aid kit," Johanna teased back. He only chuckled as he made sure he had his wallet and his car keys. He left his wife sounding a little happier than she had previously.

Jim only had the one thing to get and yet he found himself wandering around looking for anything that his mind suddenly told him they needed but he was forgetting about. Like toilet paper, toothpaste, M&M's, or... "OW, crap!" Jim had turned too suddenly and had slammed into some lady's grocery cart. "Sorry, totally my fault. I should look where I'm going. Sorry." He backed up and let her pass.

He decided to cut his losses and headed straight for the frozen food section, this time with his eyes open and his head turning every which way. He had reached the upright freezers and had begun his search for the one flavor that he needed. He finally spotted it only to see someone open the same door and pull out a different flavor.

"Sorry, go ahead." And he held the door open for Jim to reach in and pull out his choice.

"It's for my wife, it's her favorite and it chases away the dark clouds," Jim explained as he looked at who it was, and stood there with his mouth hanging open.

"I think I read somewhere that ice cream solves all of life's problems," Rick explained since he was buying some because he could see trouble coming his way.

"Pardon me for asking, but aren't you Richard Castle?" Jim could swear that he looked just like him based on the photo on the back of Jo's books.

"Last I knew, yes. I presume you're a fan?"

Jim shook his head. "My wife loves your books. We're both lawyers and she likes that the bad guys always get what's coming to them. I think it's the how and how long it takes that has her addicted."

"And still she needs ice cream?"

Jim shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say, life happens." More like shit happened, but the writer didn't need to hear that.

"Sounds like something more than ice cream is required. I still have some shopping to do. Meet me out front and maybe I can help you with that."

Jim wasn't sure, but after today he would take anything and everything he could get. "Thanks, hopefully my ice cream won't melt," he chuckled.

"I just need some steaks and I'll be done." There was a value pack of 4 sirloin steaks as well as a special on 80% lean hamburger. He chose ground turkey instead and two packages of the sirloin steaks. He just knew Alexis was going to stay in Bengal form until their guest woke up again.

Jim was out front waiting and actually helped him load his groceries into his Acura. It wasn't a car Jim saw himself owning, however it was the type of car he could see Richard Castle owning.

"Thanks for the help." His groceries had filled his trunk which wasn't all that big to begin with.

Rick opened the passenger door, reached for a hidden spot, and took out the latest copy of Derek Storm. He pulled a Sharpie from another hidey hole. "What's her name?"

"Johanna." Jim was almost jumping up and down. Ice cream did one thing, Richard Castle books did something else for his wife. He knew she had a signed copy of one of his books; now she would have two.

"Thank you. I'm sure Jo will be delighted." Jim held it close to his chest. A happy wife was a happy life.

"Make sure she reads it with ice cream," Rick joked. He shook Jim's hand and headed home.

Jim just stood there with his melting ice cream thinking his wife was going to faint and be pissed that she didn't come and get to meet him in person.


	4. Chapter 4

**CH4**

 **It is now 2 weeks later:**

Rick was putting his groceries into his refrigerator yet again only this time he had 9 New York Strip steaks. It turned out he had been right. Alexis was still in Bengal Tiger form and was watching him put her steaks in the refrigerator which would all be gone by tomorrow morning if not tonight.

He was starting to think he was going to have to re-think what he was buying. Maybe an entire half of a cow would be better. At least it would last a couple of days, it just left him with the problem of where to store it. His refrigerator was big but not that big.

"Growl!" _Her eyes are open again!_

He was standing next to Alexis. This had happened several times over the last 2 weeks, however each time didn't last long, though it was lasting longer each time.

B5 had informed them that it was highly unlikely that she would remember any of those moments. "Hi, how do you feel?" Rick asked, looking at her and seeing that she was looking back.

He watched her lick her lips followed by the tube extending and spraying a small amount of water onto her lips. Even more was sprayed after she opened her mouth and then the tube retracted.

"You are in a medical area, we're working on trying to help you get better," he said yet again.

"How …long?" Her voice was faint and raspy which was no surprise. "You've been here 2 weeks now. You had no ID on you. Can you tell me your name?" He really needed to know that. So far B5 had found nothing. As smart and powerful as she was, if it wasn't scanned and placed in a computer somewhere, she couldn't find it.

B5 had even resorted to using various security cameras to try and catch a glimpse of any paperwork that had her picture, finger print, DNA, or medical records on it. So far she had nothing.

Rick had already had a long conversation with B5 to determine what that could mean. It could mean that their guest had been held there a lot longer than he had anticipated.

Too young for a driver's license, too young for a passport, too young to need any kind of security clearance. Most high school or college year books that might have her picture in them wouldn't be scanned and available on-line.

Missing Persons reports even in the big cities were still nothing but paperwork sitting on someone's desk or already in archive storage. Worse, they didn't even know if she was born in the States; for all they knew she was French, German or possibly from countless other countries.

As soon as she was awake long enough to talk more to get a good voice sample, B5 would have something else to work with. Recordings of phone calls, for example: "This call will be recorded for training purposes only." So far they knew she hadn't been arrested anywhere that required the authorities to take her picture or finger prints.

"Can people really just up and disappear and not leave a trace of who they are and what they have done on this planet?" Rick was losing faith in B5 and had run his hands through his hair, exasperated with this predicament he had gotten himself into.

He watched her open her mouth and looked to be really concentrating only to see her shake her head. He watched as a tear slid down the side of her face. "Easy take it easy. You're fine. You are however going to be staying with us for a few more weeks. You are very weak."

"What … happened?" she asked another question.

This one had him thinking. She was far too ill still to be told the truth even if there was a good chance that she wouldn't remember any of it. He was saved from answering when her eyes fell on the concerned eyes of a Bengal tiger that almost had her nose plastered up against the plexiglass that the girl was enclosed in. Her tears had stopped and now her eyes opened wide as she obviously recognized what Alexis was. That was actually a good thing since it meant her memory wasn't that bad.

"I see you've seen your guardian. Alexis here has been standing guard over you since you arrived. She has taken it upon herself to make sure you are kept safe from pretty much everyone. She would never hurt you, she's a good girl." He scratched her ears and then scratched the side of Alexis's face.

"Growl." _They hurt you again over my dead body._

It told Rick something that he already feared for when she was well enough to leave. "Alexis says hi," he interpreted for her. "Go back to sleep, you're in good hands." And paws.

"B5, how is she doing?" He was a little concerned that she was sleeping too much, even if it did save him from difficult questions.

"The female's blood work is not quite normal and I am spending additional time to correct it. Her heart wall is completely repaired with no apparent permanent damage. Her muscle mass is showing atrophy. I will need to begin testing her remaining muscle mass to determine how much damage has taken place which will enable me to assess how long she has been like this."

"Her other internal organs and her memory recovery are still progressing as anticipated. The female will regain consciousness more often for longer periods of time now that her blood work is in better shape. Estimate another 2 weeks before she can be released from the medical bed."

It gave him 2 weeks to work out what to do after she was out of the medical bed. It didn't help with what to say between now and then or even after.

"There is an alert that needs to be accounted for," B5 suddenly announced.

"Transfer it to my pad and I'll get started on it," Rick told her and began walking to his office on the 5th floor. He had only just reached it when his phone rang.

"Castle."

"Richard, we need to talk," Gina said.

"Have you completed the review of the chapters you have been sent?" he countered.

"I'm still working on them, I should have them back to you within 2 weeks as stipulated in our contract. But we still need to talk Richard," she tried again.

"You've already said too much and it is a clear violation of our contract. I'm being kind to let you finish this last book," he informed her.

"I did not violate our contract Richard," she said angrily.

"You attempted to insert yourself into my personal life when you questioned why I wasn't interested in you sexually. Plus you insulted Alexis yet again even after I told you to keep your opinion to yourself."

"This phone call is yet another attempt to you interjecting yourself into my personal life since you have deviated from talking about business only as is stipulated in our contract. You are fired Gina, and I will direct Black Pawn that you have violated our contract and will submit this book to another publisher for consideration. As of this moment in time the association between you, me, and Black Pawn is ended. You are forbidden from contacting me again; should you do so I will have a restraining order slapped on you. Goodbye." Rick ended the call, turned on his pad, and started reading.

The more he read, the more he knew Alexis wasn't going to like it. For a moment he considered leaving her here, but knew she would blow a fuse if he even offered. It left him hoping his first-aid kit had everything needed for doctoring scratches.

Rick found Alexis right where he knew she would be - sitting next to the medical bed keeping an eye on their guest. "We have a new job, this time we're going to Russia. We have to put an end to another technological advancement. In this case it could easily lead to a first strike against another country. This one, likely resulting in a massive launch in retaliation."

"Growl." _What about her?_

"She'll be fine, she's hardly awake for very long and can't really move anyway. Plus this can't wait. You want dinner as 2 steaks or do you want one dinner as a can of salmon?" he asked her.

Alexis hated these times. She loved steaks and yet she really loved seafood too. However if she was going to go with him, it was going to have to be as a tabby cat. She changed forms.

"Meow." _Salmon it is._

He popped the top of the catfood can, dumped it onto a plate, sprinkled some dry on top, placed it on the edge of the countertop of the island, and watched Alexis jump up easily to eat her meal.

He pulled one of her steaks out and placed it on the indoor grill along with a foil wrapped up baked potato. He snapped a few green beans and placed them in a pot of boiling water with a touch of onion and some bacon bits from a bag.

"Meow!?" _Is that my steak_ _!_ _?_

"Not anymore." Rick smiled as he placed a piece in his mouth and started chewing. Alexis just sat there and watched him eat her steak.

"Meow!" _There better be more where that one came from_ _!_

He went to his bedroom to get changed for their mission. "Bathroom?" he asked looking at Alexis who trotted off to one of her kitty litter boxes.

He was waiting for her in the living room. He picked her up, gave her a quick pet, and pressed the gem embedded in his palm. In a swirl of clouds they find themselves outside of a building.

Центральное конструкторское бюро "Рубин

He walked right up to the front door still holding Alexis, held out his ID card, walked right in, and kept going. He walked to a door and opened it to find two men inside, one sitting at a desk and another standing off to one side holding a weapon.

He lifted up his ID card again and walked over to a door that had a card reader along with a keypad. He hid the card reader from the men in the room and faked running his card through the reader. Then he placed his finger over one of the numbers on the pad and watched the red bar turn green and opened the door.

This lead to a corridor that had several doors on either side, each one with a sign indicating what they were. Rick walked down the corridor until he reached the door he wanted and found another card reader with a key pad. He simply repeated what he did at the last one and watched the red bar turn green.

Opening the door he found a dark room and reached for the light switch. Turning on the light gave him a better appreciation of what it was going to take to solve this problem. The room was large but even worse was the wall of windows that looked out onto a long skinny pool of water. "Shit, they have a small working version already that is already in the testing phase." Rick set Alexis down and went in search of things he would be needing.

It was early in the day so none of the team were in yet, hence the dark room. However someone could come in early so he needed to hurry. It took him a number of minutes, still he found what he thought would work nicely. None of the chemicals would interact with each other until enough heat was applied - like the heat of the engine section of a nuclear submarine. Once it reached the right high temperature, the engine would seize and become one big block of metal. "That takes care of the test version." He went back into the main room.

Rick sat down at one of the computers. "Watch the door for me." He looked down at Alexis who moved over to the door they came in through and sat down.

He turned the computer on and worked at signing in, getting nowhere. He lifted a finger to his lips and said, "A little help?" He placed the finger on the keyboard and watched line after line flash up on the screen and didn't understand any of it.

Suddenly he was in. "Download for analysis," he spoke to his finger again and placed it on the keyboard until he saw:

Загрузка завершена

"Now let's see what we are talking about here." He started searching to see why he was here.

 _A_ _ **magnetohydrodynamic drive**_ _or_ _ **MHD**_ _propulsor_ _is a method for propelling vessels using only electric and magnetic fields with no moving parts, using_ _magnetohydrodynamics._

 _This allows the ship to turn very sharply and brake instantly, instead of gliding for a few miles._

 _For submarines, an undetectable "silent drive" intended to achieve stealth_ _in submarine warfare._

"A first strike weapon that no one can find or follow. Park enough boomers off the east and west coasts of the United States and they might not even have time to retaliate or have anything to retaliate with. Leaving all of the major cities untouched but a country without a military.

So maybe the US has one or two boomers out on patrol, big deal. It won't happen till years from now, but no one should have this technology." He was talking to himself.

"Test results, test results?" Rick started looking.

They had started the program years ago, built the test engine, and have been testing for years. "Years?" He didn't like where this was leading. "Oh god, they actually have…" He was interrupted while talking to himself.

"Meow!" _We have company_ _!_

He turned his head watching Alexis back away from the door just as the door started to second he saw a head, he pointed his finger. The woman froze in place and started smiling. It was the guy behind her that he wasn't expecting so he pointed at him too.

Now he had a problem and had to come up with a solution. He needed them to think that the caterpillar drive for their boomer submarines had a fatal flaw. However if they even suspected that a spy had gained entrance and sabotaged their research, they would simply replace their research and keep building the drive.

How was he going to do that with two of the team on his hands? He closed the door. "You two just sit right down there and take a nap. You're really tired," he told them and helped them down to the floor.

Rick went back to what he had found. "They have already built the drive into one of their boomer submarines," he moaned. "This is _so_ not good!" He lifted a finger to his lips. "Where is this boomer now?" He placed his finger on the keyboard and again watched lines of code, words, something... flashed up on the screen until it stopped on a page of data. "She put to sea, yesterday. Great, just great. We need to work on when B5 notifies me of these missions."

He lifted his finger back up to his lips. "I need a worm that will corrupt and destroy all the data concerning this drive and make sure it is capable of remaining active, hidden away, waiting for any new data that needs to be destroyed." Rick placed his finger on the keyboard.

"Now what do I do with you two?" He stood over the two team members.

"Meow?" _PLF? … ELN? … PIJ? … DHKP/C?_

He simply stared at her. "I don't even… They need to be found and not taken, or we're back to having a spy take them or letting Russia think they have defected." Then an idea hit him and he started taking the shirt off of the guy.

"Meow!" _Kinky!_

That earned Alexis a death glare. It took a little time but he finally had them were he wanted them. Clothes, shorts, panties and bra were thrown every which way and these two were presently in a 69 position on the floor. He was on top with his head planted firmly between her spread legs while his limp penis was touching her lips.

He would have preferred at least a sofa, but one worked with what one had - he didn't have a sofa let alone a bed. And these two were kind of close to the same age, so it was believable at first blush. "Let's see them explain this?" He was sort of proud of himself. "Maybe one or both is married," he grinned.

"Time to go." He picked up Alexis. "I hope you packed your swim trunks," he teased her knowing that neither of them had brought any such thing.

"MEOW!?" _**WHAT!**_ _ **?**_

He pressed the gem embedded in his hand and they found themselves surrounded by vertical tubes that all had electrical conduits plugged into boxes that had other conduits plugged into them.

For the moment they were alone but they could hear someone waking down the grate they were standing on. Rick moved to another tube and looked up and saw a catwalk above the ladder up was easy, however it meant Alexis had to go first, who got thrown Alexis in his arms, he rolled to one side up against the outer hull of the boat and watched a sailor walk by.

They were mid-ship with the missile tubes which meant he had to move aft of the boat, so he started crawling, having to stop twice when sailors would walk by.

The problem was a submarine was built in sections and he had reached one of the bulkheads. It forced him to roll off of the catwalk and hang for a moment before trying to step down onto the grate without making a noise. He lifted his hands and waited for Alexis to jump into them followed by stepping through the open door into the next section.

He walked quickly through this section before stepping to one side to allow a sailor to pass through the next door before slipping in right behind him, hurrying on to the next bulkhead.

He was doing fine till he reached the next bulkhead. He missed the name. "сообщить моста." That forced him to back up and open a side door and slip inside leaving the door partially open so he could see him walk past. The bastard was apparently mad and slammed the door closed in his face.

"Meow." _I hate this place._

He wasn't enjoying it either at the moment. Now he had no idea who, if anyone, was on the other side of the door. He was forced to risk it. Opening the door he found himself back in the corridor alone. He slipped through the bulkhead door and into the engineering section.

Rick pointed a finger and pulled up a 3D image of what the Caterpillar drive was supposed to look like. "Great!" It was on the other side of a bulkhead wall with no apparent access. "So how do they get in to do maintenance?" He saw a computer terminal and lifted a finger to his lips. "I need another worm that will force the drive into a catastrophic failure after a certain hour of operation is reached." He placed his finger on the keyboard and watched line after line of code appear and disappear.

"Time to move," he told Alexis, pressed the gen embedded in his hand, and in a swirl of clouds moved to the front torpedo bay.

There were 4 men on watch in this room and each of them got a finger pointed at them, causing them to stand ram rod straight and start to smile. "Sit right down and take a nap. You didn't see anyone," he told each of them.

"Now I need to borrow one of your torpedoes," he said to himself.

He pointed his finger, got a 3D image of the interior, and moved his hand up and down till he found what he wanted. "Yeah this is the spot." Rick lifted another finger and pointed.

"Time to move again." He picked up Alexis, pressed his thumb into the palm of his hand, ended up back in that room again, and waited.

"Meow?" _What are we waiting for?_

In a moment there was a massive crunching sound followed by metal striking metal rhythmically. A Russian engineer could be heard cursing while ordering the Caterpillar drive be shut down.

"Инженерная , отчет !"

"Гусеница езды съел сам. Ущерб может быть постоянным , сэр .

Gusenitsa yezdy s"yel sam. Ushcherb mozhet byt' postoyannym , ser ."

"Закройте его и вернуться к нормальной езды .

Zakroyte yego i vernut'sya k normal'noy yezdy ."

"Да сэр."

The massive noise soon ended and was replaced by a different sound. "Time for the next phase," he said to Alexis and opened the door. He stepped in through the bulkhead door and pointed a finger before stepping back out. While he stepped back into his hiding place, he heard an alarm blare.

"Инженерная отчет !"

"У нас есть утечка radiaiton . Он получил в экологических системах и распространяется по всей лодке .

Повреждение caperpillar диск , скорее всего, поврежден то , сэр .

U nas yest' utechka radiaiton . On poluchil v ekologicheskikh sistemakh i rasprostranyayetsya po vsey lodke .

Povrezhdeniye caperpillar disk , skoreye vsego, povrezhden to , ser ."

Rick soon felt himself being forced into the floor and the submarine was suddenly rising up to the surface. He didn't hear anything else for a while.

"Все вон!"

The Captain ordered everyone out of the ship because of the radiation alarm.

Rick exited his room and went into the engineering section. He needed a real radiation leak which required one more action.

He and Alexis were both thrown to the floor by a large explosion at the bow of the ship. "Looks like my torpedo has finally blown," he commented as he righted himself to a sitting position.

In seconds he could hear the rush of sea water making its way to the stern of the boat as it sank quickly. "Guess I don't need that reactor leak after all," he said just as the rush of water hit their compartment since all of the bulk head doors had been left open.

" **MEOW!"** _ **I HATE WATER!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**CH5**

Rick and Alexis arrived in his bedroom just in front of the bathroom door and Alexis got a little violent trying to get out of his arms.

"MEOW!" _LOOK AT ME, I'M ALL WET!_ _!_

There were a lot of things Alexis wanted to do: scratch his eyes out for this; rip his calves open so he limped for a few days; at least use his pant leg as a scratching post causing him to have to buy a new pair of pants. She didn't do any of those things. If she was wet, she might as well be wet. So she ran down the stairs complaining all the way til she reached the pool and changed back into her tiger form in mid-air.

SPLASH! Her blue ball went flying but didn't make it back into the pool, not that she cared. A couple of laps later and she was relaxing in the shallow end splashing the water with one of her front paws. Now this was how a cat was supposed to be wet! Plus that other water had been freezing!

He took his clothes off, threw them at the hamper, and stepped into the shower to get warmed up. He had been afraid his little fix to the torpedo wouldn't work so he had to go back to the engineering section and stayed to create a radiation leak so that the sailors didn't come back aboard. Then he would have to go forward to make a torpedo to detonate and take the sub to the bottom.

If they didn't have a working caterpillar drive it would hopefully force them to abandon the project. Now he had to keep an eye on the Americans so that they didn't create one either.

He was also counting his lucky stars that Alexis hadn't ripped him a new one. As a cat she had a few phobias and being wet was one of them. Just not in tiger form which was what he guessed she was right now. He would go down to the pool in a little while and coax her out then turn on the fan to dry her off.

It gave him a chance to get dressed and check on their guest, who had her eyes open again. "Hi. Feeling better yet?" he asked with his face right above hers. She nodded her head.

"It looks like you'll be in there for another couple of weeks. You were in pretty rough shape and you need time to heal properly. After a couple of weeks we'll get you out and into a real bed. After that we'll start on you physical therapy to help get you back into shape," he explained.

She tried to think back to being in an accident and came up empty. In fact she didn't remember a lot of things. "Where?" she tried but was getting tired again.

"You are presently in New York City. Manhattan if you want to be particular." He answered her question without going into detail.

"Who …are …you?" she whispered, her eyes drifting shut. She never heard the answer if he gave her one.

"You'll get to find out soon enough. Now we just need to know who you are." He answered her knowing that she didn't hear a word.

 **It is now one week later: (Mid December 1999)**

"Change out of tiger form Alexis, we don't want to scare her," Rick told Alexis as they were leaving his bedroom. Today was going to be a big day.

He checked to see if she was awake yet and found her still asleep. "B5 go to stealth mode," he told the computer who withdrew the keyboard panel and turned the lights back into the dining room wall. All that remained was the medical bed hanging from the wall.

"Open the bed and let's see if we can wake her," he instructed B5 which was still on-line. He watched the dome retract, leaned in close, and ran a finger down her cheek. Shaking his head free of those thoughts, he shook her shoulder. "That's it, time to wake up. Come on, time to meet the world." He gave her cheek a couple of taps. Her eyes blinked open. "Hi, how do you feel?"

"Hi." She smiled then looked around and noticed something was different. The plexiglass panel was gone and he was touching her.

"You could really use another week on this thing but I'm betting you would like to get out of it and move around." He had watched her stay awake for longer and longer periods over the past week. She smiled and nodded her head. "We need to take this slow and you will likely find yourself feeling weak. Let's start with sitting you up first, shall we?" He put a hand behind her head and started lifting her up to a sitting position, moving his hand to her back to hold her up.

"I'm in a kitchen?"

"Yeah, my kitchen, my home."

"Not a hospital?" she questioned. A medical bed in a kitchen?

"I'm the one that found you and I'm the one that got you out from where you were. I could have dropped you off at a hospital, yes. However, I feared that they couldn't help you, so I brought you here," he explained. "To a kitchen?" She looked around confusedly.

"Ready to try standing? I think it may have been a while for you so we need to be careful," he warned her and watched her nod her head. She really wanted to stand and stop laying on a bed.

Rick used his other hand to help her swing her feet around and hang them over the edge. He moved his hands under her arms and started to ease her towards the edge. "Scoot forward and get ready." Just as her butt left the table, her feet hit the floor and she would have fallen if not for him holding her up. She groaned and pushed herself upright with him still holding onto her.

"How are you doing?" He needed to know whether to lift her back onto the bed, only to see her nod her head. "No brave faces, I need the truth. If we push you too far because you want to do something, you'll be back in this bed for weeks more if not months," he warned her. "It hurts, but I can manage," she replied.

"Okay, let's see if we can get you to the bedroom where you will be sleeping. Maybe we can get you in the tub, how does that sound?" he asked still not sure how he was going to manage that. Still need was the mother of invention so he hoped he would think of something.

"You're doing great, just a few more feet," he encouraged.

"OH!" She was impressed as they stepped out of the kitchen where she could take in the wood walls, wood floor and wood curved staircase. She could even make out the living room beyond.

He pushed a button on the wall and waited, followed by a door sliding open. "An elevator?" Now she was really impressed. "We're only going up one floor, but I didn't think you were ready to take the stairs," he commented, watching her smile.

The elevator was small and could only fit two people. He pressed the button for the 3rd floor. It allowed her to see that there were five numbers along with a "B" before the number 1 and an "R" after the number 5.

It was a big house. "How many people live here?" It was big so it had to be several.

"Just me and Alexis," he answered as the elevator door opened and he helped her out. "We're turning left," he told her and walked her into the spare master bedroom. This was the one that didn't have a fireplace.

"WOW!" Her head kept swiveling around. The room had wood floors, three windows, and the walls looked like old world French panels trimmed in gold. The ceiling was intricate with an ornate medallion in the center with a crystal chandelier hanging from it.

The bed was enormous with wood side tables with antique gold lamps sitting on them. "Goodness!" Stepping into the room she found a large sitting room with a loveseat, 2 chairs, a coffee table and a side table with another lamp sitting on it. "I take it you like it. Not really my taste but I needed for each bedroom to be different, so…" It was half a lie since he had very little to do with this room let alone the entire house. Still it was something he had seen once and had liked it. He assumed they must have gotten it out of him somehow.

"The bathroom is to our right." He helped her walk that direction and could feel her getting tired since he was using more and more support to help her remain standing. Plus her breathing was getting heavier.

"Oh, my!" It had light colored large tiled floors, large darker tiled walls, toilet, bidet, double lavatory and a huge soaking tub that must take an enormous amount of water to fill it. "You can't possibly have enough hot water to fill that thing," she mentioned, amazed by this place even though she'd only seen three rooms. "I can fill it with hot water easily, nothing to worry about. How about you sit right here?" He sat her down on the toilet and moved to turn on the water to fill the tub.

He turned to the cabinet below the sinks, opened it, and pulled out two bottles. He poured a little of each into the tub before putting them back. He took the opportunity to pull out a towel. "Be right back." He returned shortly carrying an all white robe for later.

"Meow?" _What is she going to wear?_

It was only then that she noticed the cat. "That's Alexis, she's my cat. She's been standing guard over you ever since you got here. She's harmless, just don't get her wet or mention the word…" He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Never say the word ' _dog_ ,'" he warned. "What's wrong with the word…?" Rick covered her mouth instantly and shook his head. She remained silent after he removed his hand. She mouthed "Sorry" at him.

"I'm going to see if I can let you handle this by yourself, otherwise I'll have to help you get undressed and into the tub with my eyes closed which I'm betting won't be easy. Just turn that knob when you think you have enough water. It's already set to deliver water at a precise temperature which should be just right, hopefully," he told her and left the bathroom.

She didn't find what little she was wearing difficult to take off. "I suppose you are just going to sit there and watch me?" She looked at Alexis who was just sitting there staring at her. "Fine." It was just a cat after all. She found getting what served for panties off was hard since she had to stand to do it, which wasn't as easy as it sounded.

She stumbled towards the tub and turned off the water before trying her best to get into it without splashing too much water. Except she hadn't actually gotten the water all the way turned off. She sighed. "A little help?" The valve was down way past her feet. He came in with his hand over his eyes. "Something wrong?"

She giggled. "You can't see anything because of the bubbles. Would you turn the water off please?"

"Sure." He peeked first to make sure she wasn't lying then walked over and turned off the water. "The loofah is there and the body wash is in that bottle. Shampoo and conditioner right there; you should be all set," Rick told her and started to leave.

"Stay and talk to me?"

"Um…" He looked around. "Be right back." He came back with a simple chair to sit in and placed it somewhat near the tub facing her direction.

"I don't even know your name," she began.

"You do actually. I told you several times, but you were kind of out of it each time. I'm Richard Castle." Her eyes widened. "Heard of me I take it?"

She nodded her head. "My mother reads your books. She even dragged me down to one of your book signings one time just a few weeks ago."

His eyes widened in surprise. His contract stipulated that he had to go to book signings with Gina his first year. He had that clause removed from all contracts after that first one. That gave him an idea of how long she had been there, and it wasn't good.

"And your mother is who?" he tried, with little hope. He watched her open her mouth, only to close it again. Then she scrunched up her face and tried again. She finally gave up and shook her head. "How can I not know my own mother!? I don't even know my own name! WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!?" She was confused and upset. She was weak, felt terrible, and was in some stranger's home.

"I'm still working on your name; so far I haven't found anything. Do you feel like you've ever driven a car?" he asked, only to watch her think about it and shake her head. "Do you know where you went to high school? Best friend in high school? High school mascot?" He tried a number of questions.

She twisted her hair distractedly. "Maddie... Madison maybe?" It was as close as she could come."Madison, what?" he asked, only to watch her shake her head. "Blonde, brunette, red head, bald?" he queried. "BALD?" she said unbelieving, only to watch him shrug his tried to picture Madison. "Blonde, very blonde. Long hair. We used to fight over boyfriends." It had her laughing.

"Ready to get out?" he asked after a while. She nodded her head. "Think you can stand on your own?" She nodded her head yet again.

He was hoping that would make it easy on him, so he picked up her robe and held it open for her with his head turned away. He heard a lot of splashing followed by silence. "I guess not," she said quietly.

Rick dropped the robe on his chair and thought about it. As far as he could figure, he had just one option. "Okay, I'll lift you up with my eyes closed and see if we can get you out of the tub and into this robe." He bent down and got his hands where he wanted them and closed his eyes before he started to lift her up. Getting her to stand turned out to be the easy part. Getting her out of the tub was a little harder.

Next came getting her into the robe. The problem was that he had a naked grown woman with a 15 year old mentality. "Can you grab the robe?" he asked. He didn't see her reach out and come up short. "Nope, too low." It was out of her reach.

He backed up til he reached the lavatory counter and left her holding onto it then hurried over to grab her robe. It forced him to turn his head to find her again and what he saw had him slam his eyes closed again.

She was gorgeous even if she was too thin, probably not fed enough while being held in captivity. He held the robe out and open in front of him til he reached her. He felt her put her arms into the sleeves; her arms closed the robe and his arms closed around her. He wasn't sure if it was by accident or if she did it on purpose, but he felt his hand brush across one of her breasts, causing him to step back and blush up a storm.

He simply carried her to her bedroom and placed her in bed for the night.

Rick retreated to the safety of his bedroom and stripped down to get ready for bed. It was only after he was ready that he noticed that Alexis wasn't with him. It might be the first night in a couple of years that he didn't sleep with her in his bed. "Great, I've been replaced. …TRAITOR!" he hollered just loud enough for her to hear the word while only she heard his voice.

Alexis walked on the bed towards her and leaned down to rub her face up against her face. "Purr, purr." _I hope you can help. He needs more than me._

Alexis settled down and curled up to sleep with their new friend who was finally out of that damn medical bed.


	6. Chapter 6

**CH6**

She had so many questions and wasn't getting any answers. It was only now that she noticed every time she asked a question Rick would change the subject and get her going off on some different tangent. Where had he found her? Why was she in this condition? How had she gotten here?

It hadn't been easy but Rick had gotten her into the bed still naked since she didn't have any clothes. She had smiled at his obvious discomfort. He was being sweet about it and she was enjoying seeing him blush. "I have breasts," she repeated to herself yet again and moved her hands under the covers to feel them again.

If she was honest with herself she had been hoping they would be larger, but this seemed like a nice size. And they were perky and conical. They may not be the size she was hoping for but at least they didn't sag. That left her with still more questions that he had artfully dodged. Breasts didn't grow overnight, so how did she get them? Well, she knew how, but just how long had it been? And why did she feel like she was taller than she used to be? Or was it because he was short? Not that he looked short and while she was in his arms all that time, it wasn't hard to tell that he had muscles.

Falling asleep had taken work on her part as she had him and his muscles dancing in her head. She suddenly woke up when her mind asked if he was married. Except he said he lived here all alone. No wife, no kids. Wait! That didn't make sense. Somehow she knew that Rick was married and that he had a kid. A little girl in fact. Now what was her name?

She was still working on those subjects when suddenly there was something rubbing its face up against hers, and it was purring. "Hi Alexis. …what are you doing in my bed?" She lifted her arms out from under the covers and started petting the cat.

"Purrr!" _You were having a bad dream, go back to sleep_ _!_

"I'm sorry Alexis, I'm just so lost right now. Too many questions and not enough answers. What is my name and where are my parents?" She blinked back tears yet again. She was so lost, and yet talking to Alexis seemed to be helping some.

The cat rubbed her face up against her face "Purr." _Go back to sleep._

Alexis moved down her body above the covers and found a spot to lay down on top of her. She curled up, watching her settle back down on the bed and go back to sleep.

Meanwhile Rick was having his own problems. Getting her in and then especially back out of the tub had been hard. Not physically hard, but still hard and she seemed to be having fun with it at his expense.

There hadn't been anyone since Meredith and that was before she had gotten pregnant. There hadn't been anyone through all his years of training either. Not that there were any humans around in the first place.

He had devoted his time and his life to his mission. Anything else was a distraction, and having a naked woman in his home - a beautiful naked woman at that - only complicated his life. He needed to find her parents and fast. It didn't feel right to just dump her at some hospital like he had the other women.

With some effort he finally made it to sleep, despite having a beautiful naked woman who had teased him mercilessly just across the hall.

He tossed and turned and muttered in his sleep. The tears had started and weren't going to stop anytime soon. A moan escaped his lips. "Please!" Then he sat up suddenly, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. **"NO!"** His eyes were wide open, not that he saw anything that was in the room. All he saw was something else, something that haunted him even today.

The noise woke her. She looked up and saw as Alexis leapt from the bed and skidded while trying to get her feet under her. The cat shot out of her room like a canon. She didn't see that Alexis flew across the hall, leapt onto Rick's bed, and ended up in his arms while he broke down and wept yet again.

"MEOW, PURR, PURR!" _I'm here, I'm here, and I'll always be here_ _!_

Alexis rubbed her head up against his face and didn't complain when he squeezed her too tight. She didn't know what brought this on; he hadn't had a nightmare in years. Their first year of training had been filled with them, but not so much lately, and none since coming here.

She was still doing her best to calm him down when they both heard a crash and turned to see their guest leaning up against the bedroom door, barely still standing. She had heard the noise and followed Alexis across the hall, but it had been a long day and she was beyond exhausted. In the end she was just able to shuffle her feet along the floor til her knees gave out. She crashed into the bedroom door using the doorknob to remain standing.

Rick left Alexis on the bed, got up, and started walking towards her. She let go of the doorknob and took a couple of steps only to fall onto him, hanging onto him for support.

"What are you doing up? You shouldn't even be out of bed! I should have left you in the medical bed downstairs." He knew it was too soon, but the sooner she was gone the sooner everything went back to normal.

"I heard you cry out."

"It was just a nightmare. I need to get you back into bed." He went to lift her and carry her back to her room. "NO! You need help and I want to help." She batted his hands away only to begin to stumble. She found herself in his arms yet again anyway. She rested her head up against his chest since he was taller than she was.

"No, your bed." Suddenly Rick noticed that her head was up against his bare chest. Her hands were folded in-between the two of them and he soon felt her palms on his bare chest. Since this had to stop, he helped her to his bed where she could sit down.

"It was just a nightmare, I'll be fine."

"I may not remember much but I know that it helps to talk about it. If you bottle it up it just gets bigger. You do want them to stop, right?"

"Not a good plan, you have enough to worry about. I'll be fine."

"Meow, meow. Meow!" _Let her help, this needs to stop. It's breaking my heart_ _!_

Alexis rubbed up against him trying to coax him out of his shell. He wasn't the same person she remembered and she wanted that person back again. "You're not fighting fair Alexis," he complained, knowing that he'd give in. Give in to anything she said or wanted. Always had, always would.

"Meow!" _Please!_

To Kate it actually looked like the two of them were talking to each other which was crazy. Still if it got him talking...

"It started years ago. I was in college, well, several colleges to be accurate. I got expelled from most of them in my youth. I wasn't overly popular with other kids, never stayed long enough to really know any of them, so I spent my free time getting into trouble. Nothing serious, mind you, nothing the cops would be interested in."

"I met Kyra and fell in love with her. I did everything I could possibly think of to get her to like me. I spent a small fortune on her - money I didn't really have at the time. Kyra's parents were rich, the filthy, stinking kind of rich. The kind of rich where you didn't care what the price was and didn't ask."

"Her parents didn't like me. I was from the wrong side of the tracks. I didn't have money and wasn't born into money. Still it didn't stop me from asking her to marry me. I was so sure that she loved me, and maybe she did. Her parents' answer was to take her to Europe and never come back." She took hold of his arm and held on tight, showing her sympathy and that she was listening.

"Then I met Meredith who was nothing like Kyra. Meredith was into parties, drugs, and alcohol. She fancied herself an actress and just knew she was destined for greatness. All she needed was her one shot. I didn't much like the drug and alcohol scene and was thinking of dumping her when she showed up one day and told me she was pregnant, that I was the father. I had just gotten my first book published. It did pretty well and earned me a lot of money. So I did the chivalrous thing and asked her to marry me."

"Long story short, we ended up married, rather young I'll admit. I had grand plans for us as a family. Meredith, however, didn't want a family, she just wanted to advance the career that she was headed for. I came home and found her in bed with another one of her directors. She had decided to use the casting couch to get jobs. I overlooked it, but when she did it and neglected the baby after she was born, that was too much."

"Meredith got half of my money and I got the baby. Alexis Harper Castle." She sucked in a breath and held onto Rick a little tighter. "You named your cat after your daughter? Wait, where is your daughter? And Meredith?" she questioned.

He shook his head wearily. "At about 6 months Alexis was diagnosed with Batten Disease. It's an inherited disorder that only needs one genetic marker. After a lot of testing we figured out it wasn't me."

"Batten Disease affects the nervous system. Affected children fail to thrive and have microcephaly along with short, sharp, muscle contractions called myoclonic jerks. She slowly lost her eyesight until she was completely blind, followed by more severe seizures, all of this resulting in personality and behavior changes, slow learning, clumsiness. By the time Alexis was two she was blind, bedridden, and had severe dementia." Rick was forced to pause since his crying had only gotten worse. "Alexis died a month later, she had Infantile NCL (INCL or Santavucci-Haltia disease). It is always fatal and they can die as young as 2 years old or die in their teens." His body quaked when he drew a breath, his tears never stopping.

"Oh god Rick, I'm so sorry." She buried her head up against the arm that she still had a strangle hold on. "And this is your nightmare?" She had no idea how to fix that.

He nodded. "The first year they were really bad and always the same. I can see her lying there in her bed looking up and pleading with me, and all I did was let her die. Alexis died every night, night after night." He gave up and fell back onto the bed. Alexis climbed onto his chest rubbing her face into his chin.

Alexis looked at Kate. "Meow. MEOW!" _Please help him. PLEASE_ _!_

Kate crawled up his body till she could bury her head on his shoulder, placing her face into his neck. "It's not your fault Rick, none of it was. There's no need to torture yourself."

"I was her father, I was all she had left after Meredith abandoned both of us. I was supposed to keep her safe." He didn't bother wiping away the tears, they would just get replaced by more.

Alexis rubbed his face. "Meow." _Please don't do this, please._

She placed a hand over Rick's mouth to keep him quiet. "Hush, just go to sleep Rick, go to sleep. We'll both be here in the morning. …shhhh."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxxX

She woke up and everything felt just a little off. One side of her was warm, pleasantly warm in fact, while the other side of her was decidedly cold, and when did she get a body pillow?

She blinked her eyes open. As they adjusted to the light in the room, all she saw was skin and not her skin either. Her face was still buried in his neck area and her hand was on his bare chest as he laid on his back. But there was something else, she could feel him, almost all of him. She cast her eyes down. "HOLY SHIT!" Her robe was almost all the way off of her body and she was snuggled up close to him practically naked. She could even feel that her breasts were smashed up against his side and she had her naked leg draped over his naked leg.

When the hell did that happen? She'd never even gotten to third base before, now she was suddenly afraid that she had skipped a base and gone straight for a home run.

So she carefully slid a hand down between her legs and checked. She was a little moist but considering she had just woke, naked with a naked man in her arms or his arms or...oh what the hell, they were both essentially naked! Plus she didn't feel any pain. Everyone she had talked to had said there was pain involved the first time since he had to break your hymen to be inside you. She knew she was still a virgin, she at least knew that much, so nothing happened.

Well, that wasn't true since she had made it to third base, or had she? That got her to look down his body this time and found that his boxers were partially off. She could just make out his penis. That was the closest she had ever been to a man's jewels. "Oh, what the hell. Third base here I come." She inched her way past his elastic waist band and kept looking up to see if he was awake.

Then finally she had done it, third base. She had him in her hand so she did what came naturally, she started playing with it before inching her hand a little lower to hold his balls in her hand before going back to massaging his penis. It was getting bigger and bigger the more she played with it. Suddenly another hand was on hers - it was his.

She had forgotten to watch to see if he was awake and now she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, so to speak.

Surprisingly he didn't say anything. He simply got up, pulled his boxers up, and walked into the bathroom. In a moment she heard the water running. "Well, at least I made it to third base. That home run will just have to wait." She didn't remember all of the stolen home plates that had already occurred.

Suddenly Alexis was in her face. "Meow. Meow." _Don't just lay there. Please help him._

"Purr. Purr." She rubbed herself all over Kate's face. _He means the world to me. He's all I've got._

She didn't catch a word of that but she thought she got the meaning. She, however, was still trying to catch up with the changes. She remembered going to his book signing and knew she was a flat chested 15 year old at the time that didn't look like she did now. She was taller, had breasts, and her butt was bigger.

She tried rolling out of bed onto her unsteady legs and let the robe fall to the floor. "Okay Maddie, I'm going in." And she walked unsteadily into the bathroom. She could see him washing his hair through the clear glass of the enormous walk-in shower. Her heart was about to pound out of her chest, when he turned sideways and she got a good look at his erection. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you Maddie."

She turned around with the intention of walking right back out again as best she could, except Alexis was sitting in the doorway, staring at her. Her courage was fading fast. It took a lot of effort to walk over, pull the glass door open, and step inside. Once there, she reached past him for the shampoo bottle, startling him. She saw him practically jump out of his skin.

She stood there looking up at him and gave him a weak, incredibly scared smile. "Wash my hair for me?" When he took the bottle from her, she walked right into him and wrapped her arms around him. Now it was his turn and she couldn't be more scared. She knew her body wasn't 15 years old anymore, but she was in her mind and she had a real naked man in her arms for the very first time.

"Please don't hurt me."

She wasn't the only one scared, Rick was scared shitless. This was wrong on so many levels. He pushed her away and put his head under the rainfall shower head to rinse the shampoo out of his hair. He handed her back the bottle and left the shower, picking up a towel along the way. He never said a word.

She stood there getting wet wondering what just happened. She thought she was pretty enough. He had an erection so he was interested, wasn't he?

She was getting tired and had no choice but to sit on the bench that was in the shower to wash her own hair and clean herself all alone. It was a lot of work. She got out of the shower and sat on a chair in the bathroom, trying to dry herself while watching Alexis watch her. "Is he gay Alexis?"

"Meow." _Of course not._

"Does he not like me?"

"Meow. Meow." _He's just scared. He doesn't want to get hurt again._

"Now what do I do?"

"Meow!" _Don't give up on him, please_ _!_

"I'm thinking I got you up out of the medical bed too… Woah." Rick walked in and got an eyeful of her sitting naked with a towel in her hand. "I think we need to move you back to the medical bed so you can regain some more muscle mass and feel stronger."

"Don't I need physical therapy for that?" she asked, not seeing how lying flat on her back was going to help.

"You would be amazed at what that little bed can do." He was smiling, since he already knew.

"How long?" She didn't like this idea but she was tired and she was barely doing anything now.

"Probably that second week. You can get out once each day for a couple of hours maybe. Perhaps while you are doing nothing, you can think of your name, or come up with a new one. I need to start calling you something." He was tired of avoiding 'Hey you.'


	7. Chapter 7

**CH 7**

 **It is now one week later: December 24, 1999**

Kate handed the last ornament to Rick as he placed it on the tree and then they both stood back to look at their work. "I like it," she told him.

"Yeah, my first tree in years," he admitted, looking at their little 6-foot real Christmas tree.

"Maybe next year's could be bigger," she said .

"Yeah, maybe." He wasn't so sure. He had such high hopes for Christmas but then Alexis got sick and Christmas didn't matter any more. He was still not sure it mattered, but Kate had talked him into celebrating.

"I even have the first Christmas presents for it," he announced and placed two envelopes on the tree. She stepped forward to look at them. They both were inscribed "To Kate." "You got me Christmas presents!?" She leaped into his arms and kissed his cheek over and over again. "What did you get me?"

"You'll have to wait until after dinner," he told her, never actually wrapping his arms around her as she did him. She overlooked it. It didn't mean a thing.

His answer caused her to pout. "You'll just have to wait." He reaffirmed his decision.

"Rick, may I ask a question?"

"I suppose so."

"Is that necklace on Alexis real?" She had been admiring the necklace since she had seen it, but kept her mouth closed. About half an inch wide, it wrapped around her neck and overlapped just under her chin. To her it looked like the entire thing was covered with diamonds.

"It is actually; you don't want to know how much it cost me." It hadn't actually cost him a dime, but it had cost him more than he ever dreamed it would. However, it also gave him his greatest joy. The only joy he had.

Kate knelt down to pet Alexis who was just sitting there and ran a finger over the collar. "It looks very good on you," she told Alexis.

"Meow." _Thank you Kate._

"Help me with dinner?" he asked her and got her up away from Alexis, following right behind him into the kitchen. He sliced the ham to place it on the platter while she put the other dishes on the dining room table.

"Anything on a last name yet?" he asked. She sagged. They had been so happy when she heard her name being called in a memory that she suddenly had. But they only called her by her first name and not her last, so all they had was the name 'Kate.' "Not 'Kate' as being short for 'Katherine?'" he asked yet again, only to see her shake her head.

She could feel herself getting better. She still didn't understand how lying on the medical bed, that was suspiciously gone now, had helped her so much but it had. A week of laying on it had given her back a lot of her strength. Enough strength that he had given her the grand tour of the house they were in. She still thought it was a lot of house for just one person. Still she had to admit that it was a very nice house.

"How is the book coming?" She changed the subject.

Rick had easily found another publisher who jumped at publishing his next Derek Storm book. He, however, had relented and agreed on doing a few book signing events in New York, Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Like his other contracts it was for one book only, renewal to be based on book sales to determine if they would pick him up for the next book. Due to a late start, it wouldn't be out until the first week of the new year. His publisher had done an amazing amount of publicity and had already sold out several printings. It had made both of them millions already.

"It's already a big hit and should do well. I've got just under a year to write the next one."

XXXXXXxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxX

Kate was stuffed and was relaxing on the sectional just in front of their Christmas tree. He walked in after cleaning up. He walked straight to the tree. When he sat down next to her, he handed her the two envelopes. "I didn't get you anything," she moaned, as Alexis leapt up and sat in his lap.

She carefully opened the first one and started reading. "A sizing appointment?" She didn't know what that was.

"You've been walking around in the stuff I bought you that is a little too big. You need clothes and other things that will fit you properly. So I got you an appointment with someone to get you a week's worth of clothes made by Marge. Marge is the premiere designer for clothing for taller women. 5' 9" minimum and up and I think that fits you. Clothes, bras, shoes, the works," he told her as she squealed and launched herself at him. Alexis complained about being crushed between them.

Kate dove right in and kissed him smack on the lips for the first time since she'd been there. "Thank you!" And she kissed him again. She kind of felt Rick kiss her back, but it was weak. She still didn't understand why he was so reserved.

"You've got one more to go."

This time Kate ripped it open and started reading. It took her very breath away. She just sat there looking at it, frightened at what it represented.

" _ **I**_ _ **,**_ _ **Richard Castle promise to tell you where I found you and why you were there."**_

She stared at it until Alexis walked over into her lap and looked up at her. "Meow. Meow." _Ask him Kate. You deserve to know._ She didn't know what Alexis was trying to tell her, but it wasn't hard to guess.

"You can ask me when you're ready."

"NO! …No, I want to know, but I'm scared to know. You told me that you think I'm 19 maybe 20 years old based on my body. It's just that I remember arguing with Maddie about a boy and I went with my mom to your book signing a few weeks ago. That would mean I'm 15 years old. I've lost maybe 4 or 5 years somewhere. I've grown up and missed all of it! If you're right, I should be in college and I haven't even finished high school yet, not that I remember which high school." She wasn't sure she wanted to know what he planned to tell her.

She was petting Alexis who was doing her best to rub herself up against Kate. "Purr, Purr." _Ask him Kate, it's your history and you need to know._

Alexis knew it was going to hurt as did Rick; he just hoped they were both ready for this.

Kate squeezed her hand and crumpled the paper. "Tell me. Just tell me and get it over with." She turned her head to look at him and prayed it wasn't as bad as she thought it was.

He nodded. "I was working on an assignment. Something that I can't tell you anything about, you don't have the clearance to know anything about it," he began. Her mouth dropped open. "Yeah, I am a writer. I happen to also be something else. In this case I was forced to travel to a foreign country that can't be named for obvious reasons."

"I had completed half my mission when I went looking for the person who would complete my mission. In this case I ended up in a large, single story house. Call it a vacation home for the privileged. When I was there I came across a room that was filled with half naked women. All of them were Asian except for one." Kate slapped a hand over her mouth. Her imagination was already going there after those words.

"I found you half naked and hooked up to an IV. After I got you back here, I had the IV bag analyzed. He was killing you with what was in that bag. He would have probably discarded your body after you died," he said and watched her, her mouth still covered as tears streamed down her face.

"My opinion, for what it's worth, is that you were picked up off of a street somewhere and sold to this person. Pretty, young, white women are in high demand. It likely cost him a lot to buy you," he suggested, even though it sounded bad.

"I was…I was someone's slave!?"

"It was more than that based on what I saw and what you were wearing." He didn't know how to tell her she had been used for someone's sexual pleasure.

She was shaking her head. It wasn't possible, it just wasn't! "I'm, …I'm not…a virgin anymore, am I?" She searched his eyes, wanting him to say that it hadn't happened. "I'm sorry Kate, so very sorry. If it helps any, know that he died in severe pain." Rick had ripped his mind to pieces.

"I'm...I'm...someone took... I'm never going to be able to give it to…" She wept inconsolably and fell on him, sobbing.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, or even the right time."

"Meow. Meow!" _You had to tell her. She deserve_ _d_ _to know_ _!_

There was still more that she needed to be told but not today. It was bad enough as it was without telling her that she had gotten pregnant because of it then someone aborted it without her consent or knowledge.

Rick lifted her and carried her, weeping and holding onto him for dear life, up to her bedroom where he laid her down. He tried to leave, only to have her hold onto him tighter.

"Meow, hiss!" _Don't even think about leaving her now_ _,_ _or I'll rip you a new one_ _!_

He didn't know what else to do but let her cry it out as she broke down. She deserved to know, he was sure of that. He was not so sure about when to tell her. Still it was her body and her life and she had a right to know what had happened to her over the last 5 years.

It was just then that one of his fingers was alerting him that B5 wanted to talk to him. What about he had no idea. Was it about Kate or was it another mission? This planet seemed hell bent on destroying itself.

He waited until she had calmed down a little. "There's one more thing you should know and it looks like today is going to be that day." "There's more!?" Kate had dreamed about the boy who she was going to give her virginity to and now that dream was gone. She'd been held for 5 years against her will and likely raped countless times. What more could there be?

OH NO! PLEASE SAY IT WASN'T THAT! ANYTHING BUT THAT!

"Come on. There is someone you should meet especially since you've been in her care for the last few weeks." He helped her to stand and guided her into the kitchen.

' _Meet someone, that didn't sound so bad. It was better than what she was thinking that's for sure. But_ _he_ _lived alone except for Alexis. Who was she going to meet?' she thought._

He pulled out a dining table chair and had her sit. "Alexis?" Suddenly she found Alexis in her lap, leaning into her, and rubbing her face against her chest.

"I know you've had a shock and it was a bad one. Well, you're about to get another one. Please hear me - us - out before you go ballistic. Ready Alexis?" He was counting on her support in this.

"B5 activate," he called out. Instantly the wall in the dining room was filled with lights, some of which were blinking. A panel tilted out that had a keyboard, a number of silver dials, and a mini view screen. "B5 operational," a soft female voice responded followed by most of the blinking lights softening.

Kate could feel Alexis rubbing up against her; she subconsciously started petting her while she tried to get her mouth to close. "What…what is it?"

"I am an AI command and control computer for Class One Supervisor Richard Castle, who has been assigned to his own planet." B5 had already worked out that Rick would someday get around to introducing them even if it did violate one of their directives about anyone on this planet learning about her.

Kate simply stared at the wall while continuing to stroke Alexis.

He walked around the dining room table and pulled out a chair, forcing Kate to take her eyes off B5 and to look at him. "I told you about Alexis and her illness. I was standing in her room watching and waiting for her last breath since it was the only thing that I could do. Suddenly both of us were somewhere else. In an instant Alexis was in a different bed in a different room. Absolutely everything was white. The floor, walls, not that I saw any walls for I couldn't even make out the ceiling for that matter. Even the machines she was hooked up to were gone."

"And then it was just me in what I later found out was a different room in a different building. I'm not proud of myself, but when Alexis disappeared I lost it. It was bad enough that she was going to die, but to have her vanish like that was too much. This room was just like the last room. All white with nothing but me in it, until a person carrying an old fashioned data pad walked in, or glided in. I'm still not sure about that."

"Anyway, long story short, I was on a different planet. I was told that they had chosen me to be their Class One Supervisor for this planet. Essentially it's my job to prevent my planet from killing everyone on it. I get missions that are meant to prevent a country from gaining an advantage and attacking another country, feeling secure that their new toy will do the job and allow them to win easily. That might result in everyone using the thousands of nukes that the nations on this planet have."

"My last mission was to prevent North Korea from successfully launching its first intercontinental ballistic missile. It was supposed to have a range capable of reaching the west coast of the United States. If the US retaliated, it might get the Chinese involved and poof." He used his hands to demonstrate a big planet wide explosion.

"That was where I found you. The lead scientist had bought you and made you part of his...girls. He was in the process of getting rid of you when I ran across you. Maybe he tired of you, or perhaps you were too old, or some other reason." He paused to let all that sink in.

He noticed that she was still petting Alexis. "So you're an alien?"

"No, I'm human. Born and raised on this planet. Mother is presently in Tucson, Arizona, I think. She's an actress who's in a play that travels the country. They perform one or two shows daily for a few days or a few weeks before moving on to the next city. For the most part they've been moving East Coast to West Coast."

She looked at Rick then at the lights on the wall and back again. "Why you?" Not that she believed any of this yet.

"I asked that question, too. I was some stupid writer who was just getting his feet under him. I only had two books in publication, what was so special about me?" He still wasn't sure they weren't nuts, but what he got in return more than compensated for everything.

"They told me what they wanted from the person they chose for that job and the amount of training and modification the person would have to go through if he or she agreed." He laughed a little. "I told them to stuff it and give me my daughter back."

"That was when they told me the other part of the deal. Alexis was going to die and even they couldn't do anything about it, advanced as they were. They did, however, offer me an alternative. I would get Alexis back if I accepted. She was going to die soon so I had to give them my answer before that took place. I had just moments to decide."

"I would have made the deal with the devil himself and given him my very soul if it meant I could have Alexis. Naturally I said yes and the next thing I knew, I had spent the next 8 years undergoing training and modifications to my body, right next to Alexis the entire time." He would make the same deal today in a heartbeat. Or make the one with the devil even.

"You got to keep Alexis?" Kate wanted to make sure she heard right.

Rick nodded and wiped away a tear that had escaped. "She's been next to me ever since and still is, and I wouldn't change anything for it. It was a good bargain." It wasn't perfect, but it was enough.

Kate opened her mouth to ask a question then closed it again. Alexis was still with him. Her eyes widened and she stopped petting Alexis. "You don't mean?" She could only watch as Rick nodded.

Kate lifted up Alexis and looked her in the eye. "You're Alexis?" This was nuts!

"Meow." _Hi Kate._

"This is a cat, Rick. Alexis was a child. You don't just turn a child into a cat, aliens or no." He was asking too much of her. It just _wasn't_ possible.

"No, you're right, even they couldn't take a human and turn her into a cat. But they could take a human that was still alive and download her mind into something. Something that could hold her personality. Something that didn't care if the brain itself was damaged. Take this something and have someone wear it and be Alexis." He tried to offer clues for her to use to reach her own conclusion.

"Download a mind into an object." She tried it on for size. Alexis was getting uncomfortable being held that way and when she squirmed a little, the lights of the room reflected off of her collar just a touch, but it was enough. "The collar. The collar is Alexis?" Her mouth fell open as she stared at the collar and the cat in her hands.

"Meow!" _I like her Dad and I'm still keeping her_ _!_

"What did she say Rick?" Kate turned her attention to Rick. "What did she say?" Somehow she knew that he understood every meow this cat had ever made. It all made sense now.

"Alexis has liked you ever since we first found you. She said that she likes you and that she's keeping you." He shook his head. He knew Alexis was up to something and it meant trouble for him. Well, better make that more trouble.


	8. Chapter 8

**CH8**

"There is one more thing you should probably know about. B5, display medical bed," Rick ordered and they all watched as the bed Kate had been using for the last couple of weeks rotated out of the wall.

"B5 has been taking care of you all this time. You had a large number of medical problems that had to be attended to. She has done what she can with your memory. What you remember from here on out is up to you."

Kate had a question but kept it to herself for the moment. "B5 you got us in here." He got back to business.

"The Chinese are getting ready to begin sea trial tests of the firing of a new torpedo. It is presently a conventionally armed hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile based off of the DF-21. They are referring to it as the DF-21D. The Chinese are hoping it will be an aircraft carrier killer," B5 explained. "The Chinese can build 1,500 of them for the price of one US aircraft carrier."

"Eliminating the United States capability to extend its military power anywhere it chooses would give any local country an advantage. If the Chinese can keep the Americans away, they could take control of the entire South China Sea along with the viability of invading and taking Taiwan, and not fear retaliation from the Americans since their carriers would be lying at the bottom of the ocean," he surmised.

"If it takes place with a political change of a hawk as the President, he may decide to do something stupid, especially if China decides Japan is next." He didn't like any of the potential options.

Rick started walking out of the kitchen. "Where are you going?"

"To go change clothes. I have a mission to go on." He thought it was obvious. "You should probably stay here, Alexis, unless you're willing to get wet again."

"MEOW!" _Bite your tongue!_

"I should be back in a few hours." And he walked away.

"A few hours?" She stepped out of the kitchen with the intention of asking him how it could only be a few hours when China was untold hours from here by plane, but was distracted by Alexis.

"So you're Alexis." She set Alexis down on the kitchen island countertop. "What's it like being a cat? …Why am I asking you? All you say is meow." She was sure she was going nuts. Alexis walked up to the edge of the counter, rubbed herself up against Kate, and purred.

Kate turned to look at B5 who was still a bunch of lights. "So you fixed me, how much of me did you fix?" she asked and got nothing in return.

"MEOW!" _Answer her question you stupid talking box or I'll rip your wires out_ _!_

"Several of your internal organs had been damaged due to the drugs you were given over the years probably to keep you docile. It was a very bad combination of drugs and they did a lot of damage."

"Was I… Was I raped?" Kate did and didn't want to know. However the unit was silent.

"MEOW!" _What did I tell you about your wires_ _!_

"Repeatedly; there was considerable damage and bruising to that area. I have repaired all of it."

She perked up. "All of it. As in all of it? Like even my hymen all of it?" She started praying. She wanted to give her virginity to the right man, not some scum who had bought her and taken what wasn't his.

B5, however, remained silent. Alexis jumped from the kitchen island onto the dining room table as Kate reached for her, certain that she wouldn't make it. Alexis walked over to the edge of the table.

" **MEOW!"** _ **Last chance or I change into a tiger and rip your wall to shreds**_ _ **!**_

"Yes, your hymen is back in place again." B5 answered her question and turned herself off to get away from Alexis and her claws.

"Meow!" _COWARD!_

"YES!" Kate raised her hands up high. She was a virgin again. She didn't remember any of her time there and she was now hoping she never did. Now when she had sex for the first time, it really was going to be the first time.

She stopped dancing in place and sat down at the table. She watched Alexis walk right up to her face and rub up against it. "Why does Rick and your computer understand you and not me?" Alexis rubbed the side of her face against Kate's face. "Purr." _You just need to learn to listen Kate._

Rick walked back into the kitchen. "WOW!" Kate looked him up and down. "Don't you look handsome. Not that you weren't handsome before, I just meant…you look amazing." She wished she could shut-up and just slink away. He simply smiled, stepped over to the table then picked up Alexis. "Not going to be the same without you." He hugged and kissed Alexis getting her to purr and rub herself up against him. "Make sure she doesn't get into any trouble," he whispered into Alexis's ear and stepped back.

"I should be back in a few hours. If you know how to cook there is food in the refrigerator." He looked at Kate, pressed the gem in his palm, and disappeared in a swirl of clouds. She sat there with her jaw on the floor. "What was that? Somebody tell me what that was. Was that some kind of Star Trek thing? That really exists? I want one of those, how do I get one of those?" She turned to Alexis then lifted her up to her face and looked her in the eye.

"YOU are going to teach me how to speak cat, starting right now." She tried to sound firm as she put Alexis back on the table.

"Meow." _I thought you'd never ask._

"That better have been a yes." She watched Alexis jump down off the dining room table and go out into the living room.

"Or was that a no?" Now she was confused. Still she turned around and followed Alexis out into the living room where she was laying down on the floor with her feet spread out front and back. "Okay, so this requires a learning posture I'm guessing." Or hoped as she laid down on her stomach with her chin resting on her hands. "Now what?" Alexis crawled in really close so that their noses were almost touching and all she could see was Alexis's eyes.

"Meow. Meow." _Let me in Kate. Love me back._ "I already like you Alexis," Kate replied and then opened her eyes wide. "Wait, that was it, wasn't it? I'm supposed to…" Kate shut up and tried to look into Alexis's eyes and see past what she saw. "I'm trying Alexis, I'm trying." She figured she was failing until a thought hit her. _'Eyes are the window to the soul.'_ She stopped blinking and just looked. "Purr." _Open up Kate, look with your heart, not your head._

Kate made her own purring sound. It was stupid she knew, but if it helped… So she stared into Alexis's eyes and tried not to think of anything at all. She didn't know how long they stayed like that. She didn't notice the tears starting to fall down her face till she jerked her head away and sat up cross legged on the floor. "MY GOD ALEXIS, was that you?" She wiped the tears away.

She could still see in her mind the image of a little girl, frail and discolored, hooked up to machines, oblivious to the world around her. "OH, NO! Is that what Rick saw?" She reached out her arms and found Alexis in them instantly. She simply held Alexis tight and kissed her fur. "OH GOD, ALEXIS. That was you wasn't it? ...OH, RICK. No wonder your heart is walled off from everyone. I don't think I could have watched that. That… that was…" The sound of the front doorbell broke the spell.

Kate put Alexis down and mindlessly got up to go answer the door, furiously wiping the tears away as she went. Anything to get away from that image. She tried to get the front door open but she fumbled at every attempt till she finally got it right and opened the door to find a well-dressed blonde woman with big tits standing there. "May I help you?" Kate could at least take a message and give it to Rick when he got back.

"MY god! Richard chose you over me? I'll grant that you're tall but you don't even have any…" Gina didn't get to finish that sentence.

Kate felt something big brush past her leaving a gust of trailing wind behind her. What she saw was something really big with stripes crash into the woman and pin her to the ground. Then there was this deafening, ear piercing, bone chilling **"ROAR!"** as Alexis opened her mouth up wide just a fraction above Gina's face. _**I'm going to rip your beating heart out of your chest and then I'm going to devour it as you watch, followed by the rest of you!**_

Gina started screaming for dear life. She was about to be cat food and she knew it. Alexis ignored her screams and ran a paw down Gina's front, leaving white marks on her skin where her claws had passed. Her shirt was now ripped open along with her bra cut in half, exposing one of her large breasts. It was the one that had her heart of steel buried under the soft flesh.

Alexis roared again and lifted her head up high ready to strike down and rip open Gina's chest so she could get to her prize. That was until Kate wrapped her arms around Alexis's neck. "Alexis, no! You'll get Rick into trouble." She was sure a half-eaten dead body out in front of his home was going to get him into serious trouble. Kate pulled on Alexis's neck, or at least she assumed it was Alexis. Big cat or little cat there was only one cat in this house.

Gina was still screaming and having the cat wrapped up in someone else's arms gave her the opportunity to try and crawl away from certain death.

"Come on inside and pray no one else saw this." Kate yanked for all she was worth and got a half willing Alexis to allow Kate to drag her back inside the door and close it behind them. Screaming, Gina ran for her life, trying to hold her top together while her breasts bounced all over the place since there was nothing to hold them in place anymore.

Kate was looking down at what appeared to be one pissed off tiger that just happened to be wearing Alexis's diamond collar, though granted, it was bigger now. "That is you, Alexis, right?"

"Growl." _Yeah it's me and you should have let me finish her off._

"Alexis, if I had let you kill who ever that was, the police, animal control, FBI, CIA, NSA, National Guard, and whom ever I left off, would be down here to pick you up and put you away. Do you really love Rick that little?" She tried using a low blow to cool Alexis off.

Alexis hung her tiger head. "Growl." _That was a low blow._ Then she turned back into her orange and white tabby cat form and sat down.

"We need a plan. You know she's going to call the police and have them come over here. With Rick gone…" She needed to think. "Just don't change again. …And how did you do that anyway?" She stared at Alexis who just sat there. Alexis was in big trouble when Rick got back and Alexis knew it.

"Meow." _If you had let me finish Gina off she wouldn't be calling anyone._

"Don't get snarky with me young lady…cat…tiger, whatever you are. We still need a plan." She needed a drink to calm her nerves and got a cold bottle of water out of Rick's giant refrigerator."Is this why there is a huge number of steaks in here?" She started counting but gave up and took a long drink from her water.

"Wait!" She tried to think. Finally she bent down, picked Alexis up, placed her on the island counter top then looked her in the eye. "No, not those eyes. I could have sworn… Did you sit or stand next to my bed while in tiger form? I seem to remember these eyes looking at me. They looked like they were asking me something." She didn't wait for an answer, she went back to trying to come up with a plan to explain all this.

Kate made a sandwich for lunch, found some fruit and some milk, naturally, and was sitting at the dining room table to eat when the front doorbell sounded again. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and opened the door. "Officer!" She tried to sound surprised. "How may I help you?" she asked seeing that there were actually two of them with that lady standing behind them wearing a new top and a new bra.

"We've received a complaint that someone was attacked by a tiger at this residence. According to our records a Richard Castle lives here. May we speak to him?"

"Rick is gone today and will be back later, possibly tomorrow. I'm the… cat sitter. How may I help you?" Alexis showed up and sat down next to Kate. "Meow." _No tiger here._

"Enough of this." Gina had had enough and stepped around both of the officers. "Out of the way bitch and take us to the tiger."

"Meow!" _I'm still going to rip your heart out and eat it while you watch_ _!_

"Get out of the way you stinking cat." Gina wound up and kicked Alexis across the foyer where Alexis hit the far inner doors of the foyer. Kate and the others heard Alexis screech in pain from being kicked. Kate telegraphed the punch that connected to Gina's chin and decked her. "You bitch!" She tried to kick Gina while she was down on the floor, only to be grabbed by the officer closest to her. She put up a fight. "LET GO, she kicked Alexis." She kind of broke free and kind of was let go by the officer. Kate ran to Alexis and got down on the floor. "ALEXIS!? Hush sweetie, you'll be fine. I'm going to make sure Rick sues her to pay for all of the vet bills." She went to pick Alexis up who cried out in pain. "Alexis!?"

"I think we've seen enough," one of the officers commented while his partner lifted Gina up. "Gina Cowell, you're under arrest." He read her her Miranda rights: "You have the right to remain silent when questioned. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning, if you wish. If you decide to answer any questions now, without an attorney present, you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney." He cuffed her, walked her back outside, then placed her in the back of the squad car.

"If Richard Castle wishes to press charges he can come down to the station and fill out a formal complaint. Here is a card he can use. I'm sorry for all this. Good luck with your trip to the vet. I hope there is no permanent damage." The officer let himself out and closed the door behind him.

Kate carefully picked up Alexis and carried her into the kitchen. "B5 activate." Nothing happened. "B5 activate." She tried again and still got nothing. "Turn yourself on you stupid machine. Alexis got kicked and she's hurt. So turn yourself on and fix her like you fixed me or I'm going to smile as Rick rips out wire after wire while you beg him to stop." "B5 operational." The wall lit up and the medical bed swung out allowing her to place Alexis on the bed. She watched as the plexiglass slid into place trapping Alexis inside, followed by a number of lights that started blinking quickly.

She hovered over the medical bed with her head resting on the clear cover. "Rick is going to kill me." She was sure of it. Some screwy lady that Alexis obviously hated, kicked her, and now she was in the medical unit. Kate switched to walking back and forth while watching the lights on the wall keep blinking, taking peeks inside to look at Alexis.

Kate was sitting at the table with her head in her hands when the plexiglass of the medical bed retracted. She lifted her head, watched Alexis stand up and jump across to the dining room table, then walk right up to Kate. She took her head and rubbed hers up against Alexis's head.

"How do you feel?" Kate needed her to be perfect.

"Meow?" _Is that bitch still here?_

"I'll take that as a yes. You scared the crap out of me Alexis. Rick is so going to kick my ass for this."

"Meow." _Not if we don't tell him._

She spent the rest of the day sitting in the living room watching TV with Alexis in her lap, slowly petting her the entire time. Alexis was so content she actually fell asleep and allowed herself to just purr contentedly. Alexis eventually woke up and found herself all alone in the chair that she was sharing with Kate, so she got up and went looking for her. She was in the kitchen trying to cook a steak on the indoor grill along with zapping a potato in the microwave and green beans boiling in a pan on the stove.

"Do you get fed dinner?"

"Meow." _Yes please._ Alexis jumped up onto the island countertop and waited. Kate searched for her food, hoping that it was somewhere in the kitchen. "Finally." She heaved a sigh of relief, though she was forced to flip her steak, stir her beans, and turn the microwave back on again.

"Is salmon okay?" She held it up but didn't wait for Alexis to respond and popped the top.

"Meow." _Salmon, yum!_

She found a desert plate to empty it onto, not knowing Alexis had her own dish. She found the dry food and sprinkled some onto the food and placed it on the floor. "MEOW!" _WRONG!_ Alexis complained as she looked down to the floor over the edge of the counter.

"He lets you eat on the countertop? …Of course he does. You're his daughter. How stupid of me." She picked it up, placed it on the countertop then watched Alexis start eating. She went back to her steak and transferred everything to the dining room table.

It was late in the day and Kate was falling asleep in the living room trying to wait up for Rick to come home. When it reached midnight she started to get worried. "Where is he?" Alexis got up off of Kate and bound into the kitchen. "Meow." _Turn yourself on toaster and tell me where_ _D_ _ad is._

"B5 operational." Her lights started blinking quickly. "Richard has been captured by the Chinese."

" **WHAT?"**


	9. Chapter 9

**CH9**

"What the hell do you mean captured?" Kate walked over to the wall in front of the keyboard. "Where is he?" she demanded and got only silence return.

"ANSWER ME!" She pounded on the lights that kind of felt like the wall that she couldn't see anymore.

Suddenly a picture of him and his present condition was displayed up on the wall, taking the place of all of the blinking lights.

She pressed her hands to her mouth. "OH MY GOD!" She was staring at a naked man who was hanging from his hands with his arms spread wide and his feet a good foot above the floor. A Chinese man came into view with a whip. It had vicious looking metal tips on the ends of the three strands. He cracked the whip and made Rick spin in place. "OH GOD!" She couldn't keep her tears from falling as she caught a glimpse of his back.

"HISS!" _DADDY!_

Kate tried to take in everything as Rick continued to spin in place. His back was ripped open, there was obvious damage to his abdominal area, and his face was bloody. She started pounding on the wall. "Why the hell didn't you warn us?"

"MEOW!" _Your wires are history!_

B5, however, remained silent. "How do we get him out of there? We have to do something," she yelled at the wall, who remained silent.

" **ROAR!** " _**Help us or else**_ _ **!**_

She turned her head and saw Alexis in her tiger form standing on the dining room table looking very serious with her eyes locked on Rick's form.

"So long as Richard is unable to bring his hands together he will be unable to return." B5 actually felt nothing and was simply following her programming for when or if Richard was ever captured. B5 also knew that she couldn't remote activate his gem embedded in his hand. It was a system design that took everything out of B5's hands. Her hands were tied, so to speak.

"It'll take me hours to fly to China and even less chance of getting to see him. How do we go get him? Come on you stupid super computer, think of something! If he can't get back to us, how do we get to him and get him out of there?" She kicked the wall in fury.

"Growl." _I'm not watching_ _D_ _ad die, so do something._

B5 was in a quandary. Her programming wouldn't let her do one thing and yet her programming told her this mission and her assignment to this planet had to succeed. Neither of them had any training like Richard had undergone. Neither of them had the body enhancements to be a supervisor.

All Kate and Alexis saw was a lot of blinking lights that never seemed to stop or slow down.

B5 finally found an answer that didn't violate one directive and satisfied another. "Place your hand on the panel Kate."

"WHY? Never mind don't answer that." She placed her left hand on the panel. "What's going to happen?"

"Within the system there are ranks of supervisors with Class One being the highest ranked. In some cases there are simple agents that perform tasks, based on the need of that planet. I'm classifying you as an untrained field commissioned Class One agent. This allows you to receive the gem that I'm presently embedding into the palm of your hand."

She opened her eyes wide in surprise. B5 gave her credit, since she didn't take her hand off of the panel.

"Operation complete. You may remove your hand."

She lifted up her hand, looked at her palm, and saw nothing. "I don't see anything," she told B5 and then started running her fingers over her palm. "OH!" She felt a bump, it was tiny but it was there.

"The gem embedded in your palm is an activation device. You envision where you want to go and I will provide an acceptable location for you to appear. There are some limitations to where you can go. The most obvious is that no one can see you do this. I cannot allow you to activate the system when under view of anyone, including security cameras. This reason may have a bearing on why Richard was captured."

"He was caught and couldn't teleport out in full view of anyone." She got it. "Can I get to Rick from here?"

"Negative. His cell is under constant surveillance that I have no access to."

"So where am I going and how do I get to him?" She thought this was getting complicated. Why couldn't she just jump to him, wrap her arms around him and jump back out?

"Take these items. The smaller of the two can be used to open a locked door; take care not to leave it behind. The other is a hypo spray device that you will use to wake Richard up just long enough for him to free himself. You will then wrap your arms around him and press the gem in your palm. That will bring both of you back here."

She picked them up and looked them over. "I just place this one on the lock and open the door?" She held up a square block about the size of an average six sided dice. "How do I use this one?" "Place the tip against the skin and press the button. It will only work for a minute or two. You will need to get him out of the room since it is under surveillance before you can use the gem embedded in your palm. Do you understand?"

"No one can see me get there or see us leave. I understand." Maybe it would be easier than she feared after all.

"Got it. …Do I press it now?" She wanted to go now get him and get this over with.

"Do you see anyone in the room with him?"

She looked at the beaten and battered Rick, something she didn't want to do. But she also saw the man with the whip. She hung her head. "Yeah."

An hour passed. Kate was sitting in one of the dining room table chairs with Alexis back to being a tabby cat who was being petted by Kate as they both kept their eyes on Rick.

He was buck naked and yet all she saw was his back and his face. She leaned her face down into Alexis's fur. _'_ _Please,_ _let me succeed,' she thought._

"Meow. Meow." _You can do this Kate. Dad still needs you._

"What if I screw this up? I'm just a kid," she moaned. Suddenly she sat up straight. "Queller!"

"Get ready to go," B5 spoke abruptly, getting Kate to look back up at Rick. She finally didn't see anyone except him.

She was up, around the table and staring at Rick with her thumb over her palm. The two items B5 gave her were in her pocket. "Come on, come on." She wanted her hands on Rick and she wanted that now! She didn't see anyone but Rick so why was she waiting?

"Now." B5 told her and Kate pressed her thumb on the tiny gem in her palm.

What she wanted to do was scream. It didn't hurt but it was really, really weird. Things were spinning and then suddenly she was somewhere else. She felt like vomiting, but she couldn't afford that so she swallowed it down.

She took a moment to look around. It was small and it was dark. Her little room of concrete was empty. The only light came from a small opening in the back wall. It also stunk to high heaven. It smelled like she was standing at the bottom of an outhouse.

In front of her was a door and she was about to try opening it when she saw something in the corner. She picked it up and realized it was a button down shirt that had seen better days. She hesitated but brought it up to her nose and gave it a sniff. It couldn't be worse than what she was already smelling, could it? It wasn't worse and it actually blocked out some of the smell for a moment. She found the tag at the collar. It didn't really mean anything to her so she dropped it and went back to the door.

Hearing nothing, she opened the door, and stuck her head out. "OH SHIT!" All she saw was a hallway filled with doors like the one she'd just opened. "Stupid computer!" One end of the hall was a solid concrete wall while the other end had another door. She went to that door and listened first and then tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

She pulled out her dice, placed it on the door near the lock, and waited but didn't hear anything. "This thing better not be defective." She turned the knob, pulled on the door with the dice still in place, and felt it open. She put it back in her pocket and opened the door wide enough to peek in. This corridor only had three doors and some glass on either side. She liked the idea of glass so she decided to start there. She took a quick look inside the one on the left and saw a Chinese man sitting in front of a keyboard with a pair of TV screens. In front of him was another glass window with someone hanging from the ceiling.

She watched for a moment and saw the whip strike his back. She looked away and slapped her hand over her mouth. She shouldn't be here, she really shouldn't be here. She was a kid for Christ's sake!

Kate willed her breathing to return to normal as she bit down on her finger to keep from breaking down and getting caught. She was here for Rick. She wanted Rick and Alexis needed him.

She stared at the door across from her and went to peek in through the glass. It was another room just like the first. However, through the glass in that room she could see a well-built Caucasian male hanging naked from the ceiling. He looked like he had had his back ripped open. She tried the door but found it locked, so she pulled out her dice, placed it on the lock, and opened the door. "Okay, so it works fast." She pulled it shut behind her, went to the next door, and found it locked too. "These people don't trust anyone."

Kate placed her dice up against the lock and opened the door. That just left the man hanging in front of her. He was hanging with his back to her so she had to go inside and walk around to see his face.

" _RICK!_ **"** She brought both hands up over her mouth to keep from crying. His face looked like hell. She couldn't help but reach up and stroke a loving finger over his jagged cheek. "I gotta get you out of here." She pulled out her other item and looked at it again since she had to get it right. "I'm sorry if this hurts." She poked him in the chest and pressed the button.

"Please, Rick, you need to wake up." She looked past him through the glass and didn't see anyone yet. "Please Rick..." She was thinking about shooting him again even though B5 had told her to only do it once. Then he made a noise and she saw him blinking his eyes. "Rick!" Kate was suddenly happy and wanted to place her hands on his face, but it was a mess so she planted them on his chest instead. "Come on, we need to get out of here." She leaned in and placed her head up against his bare chest.

Kate kissed his chest and looked up at him. "Kate?" he said confusedly. She started laughing while crying. "Hi, I'm your rescue. B5 said you could get yourself down. Please say you can." She hadn't brought anything that could free him.

"Kate?…rescue?… _CHINA!_ " Rick looked up and saw his hands were secured and he was hanging from the ceiling. "We need to go _NOW,_ Rick!" She needed him more alert and doing things faster. B5 had warned her that what she had given him wouldn't last long. He did his best to point a finger in each hand. He found himself falling and collapsed to the floor, crying out in pain. It felt like that action had ripped open his back even more.

"Rick, you need to stand up. We have to get out of this room." She bent down and tried to help him stand. She wanted to put an arm around him but if she did that it would hurt his back so she held onto his arm and guided him into the next room. In there they could both see someone through the glass leading out into the hallway. "SHIT!" Kate cursed, since this meant they were trapped.

"Keep watch and tell me when someone is trying to open the door." Rick left her at the glass while he turned his body to face the keyboard. She tried to ignore the Chinese man screaming at her and pounding on the glass. She didn't know why he didn't open the door since she had unlocked it to get in.

Rick lifted a finger to his mouth. "I need a worm that will erase everything and kill the power to this complex." He placed his finger on the keyboard and saw code suddenly spring up on the monitor, line after line.

"RICK!" She saw someone rushing up to the door. He turned, stepped over to Kate and took her arm. He sagged with a moan of pain. "Rick, babe, not now." The stimulant was wearing off!

She did what she could to hold him upright without touching his back, when the door opened and a man with a gun stepped inside. She was frightened out of her mind! Suddenly the gunman froze and started smiling. Then everything went dark. Just after that she felt Rick collapse to the floor. She got on her hands and knees to get hold of Rick as she heard people yelling in Chinese.

Kate took him by the arm and pressed the tiny gem in her palm. Suddenly she and Rick were on the kitchen floor.

"Meow!" _You_ _'_ _r_ _e_ _back!_ Alexis jumped down off of the dining room table and moved over to Rick. "Meow?" _Daddy?_

Kate moved her hands to his face gently as she could and found his eyes were closed. "Rick?" She searched his face for signs of consciousness and got nothing back.

"Place him on the medical bed." Her head snapped around when she heard B5. She saw the medical bed had been lowered to the floor on the other side of Rick. She tried to get him up to place him on the medical bed, but realized she couldn't. He weighed too much for her to lift. She started rolling him over which actually got part of him onto the bed on his stomach.

She moved to the other side of the bed, grabbed a leg, and started pulling with little success. Then she sat on the floor, braced her feet against the side of the bed, and used her legs to help move him.

With half of him on the bed, she took his arm and did the same thing. Success! He was on the bed. She pushed on his body to straighten it out then tucked his arms in. The bed rose up to a normal level and the cover slid over the bed, enclosing him.

"MEOW! MEOW!" _Please tell me he's alright_ _!_ _He can't die on me_ _!_

Kate reached over and gathered up Alexis into her arms and kissed her fur. "He's alive Alexis, he's alive." She stood up with Alexis in her arms and looked down at him. "OH GOD!" She turned away so neither of them could see. His back looked even worse in the bright lights of the kitchen.

"Meow." _Please fix_ _D_ _ad._

"Richard will be fine in a few days, however he was unable to finish his mission. Richard was unable to corrupt the research data. I would do it from here but it is stored on a closed system that I don't have access to. I need you to complete his mission Kate."

She spun around to look at the blinking lights. "ME!? Why me?"

"You are now a Class One agent for this planet. As a result you are the next available agent to complete the mission."

"I accepted to save Rick's life not to be some CIA or alien spy!"

"If the Chinese determine that this weapon gives them an advantage it could upset the balance of power and make the leader of one or more nations bold enough to start something that could morph into WWIII. This must be prevented at all costs. You are a Class One agent, so this mission falls to you to complete."

Kate had a sudden feeling that she should have read the contract when she accepted the terms to save Rick. "Fine, what do I need to do?" She just knew she was going to regret this.

"Take the item off of the panel and place it either on the computer or a keyboard anywhere in the complex that is part of the local computer system and then teleport back here."

"That's it? Just teleport there, drop this thing off and teleport back? …What's the catch?" She knew there had to be a catch.

"As I stated before, no one can see you teleport in or out. You will need to find your own way into the building. After the device is in place, all of the power will go out after the data has been corrupted. This will be your signal that you are free to teleport out."

"I suppose everyone will have guns and will want to kill me."

"Not everyone; they will most likely want to capture you instead of kill you."

"OH, SWELL!" Get captured and tortured like Rick had been. She hated this mission already. "Okay," she sighed. Show me where I'm going." She kept petting Alexis, not realizing that she was doing so; Alexis purred, content to be in Kate's arms.

"You want me to enter that?" She pointed at the picture on the wall.

"You know how to climb, yes?"

She still wasn't smiling, but her disbelief that she could do this without getting herself killed or captured improved a little.

"While you are gone I will be accessing everyone with the last name of Queller."

"Maddie? It's Madison Queller. She's one of my high school friends. I just saw her a couple of months ago..." Kate hung her head. "Five years and two months ago." She sank down on one of the chairs.

Losing 5 years of your life was difficult to accept.


	10. Chapter 10

**CH10**

"I'm going to go shower and change first if I have the time," Kate requested. When B5 didn't say anything she headed for her bedroom to take a shower.

She still had so little to wear though Rick had gone out and bought her some things. Most of it was either a little too big or a little too small. She gave him credit for trying but she really needed that Christmas present right about now.

She chose the pants that fit best along with a pair of panties that were just one size too large so they sagged a little. It was better than too small and have them bite. All of the bras were too big so she decided to skip wearing one and put on one of her t-shirts. Then she went across to Rick's room and put on one of his t-shirts, lingering for a moment to smell it. She was learning to like his scent.

Then back across to her room for socks and tennis shoes before going back downstairs. She found Alexis standing on the dining room table trying desperately to look inside through the glass. She pulled one of the breakfast bar stools across and patted it, urging Alexis to jump and sit on it so she could see in the medical bed easily.

Kate picked up the little block that was about the size of a golf ball. She already had her dice to unlock doors with in her pocket. "Place this on any keyboard or computer?" she asked B5 just to be certain.

"The top will glow green if it is connected to the computer system that is inside the building. Red if it is just someone's laptop that is not connected to anything. When the green light goes out the process is complete and you are free to teleport back. Just make sure you are not observed doing so. You can leave the block since it will disintegrate into dust seconds after the green light goes out."

"You're sure this is a good idea? This mission of yours got Rick captured and I'm just a kid." She knew her body wasn't 15 years old anymore, but in her mind she was.

"You are now a Class One agent. You are now involved Kate, like it or not. You will do fine. If it gets to be too much for you, find a quiet spot and take a moment or teleport home and start again."

"Okay, here goes." She poised her thumb over her gem.

"Meow." _Please be careful Kate._ She pressed her gem. "Meow." _I still want to keep you._

It was a walled compound; the building itself was huge and seemed to be made of glass. While technically there were two buildings, they were connected by a second floor enclosed glass walkway. Likely one building was constructed first and the second was added later with the walkway.

She didn't see anyone so she walked over to the exterior roof drain pipe that went down into the ground. "Can I climb?" she whispered to herself. She had climbed many a tree in her life, along with countless other items. This would be her first rain pipe. She wrapped her hands around the pipe and immediately wished she had some work gloves to wear. The pipe was sure to hurt her delicate hands.

She reached, lifted a leg, and used the straps to secure the pipe to the building as a place to place her foot and pushed. Little by little she worked her way up the pipe till she reached the roof. She worked hard to climb over and land on the roof. She took a moment to just lay there and catch her breath before rolling over and standing up. She needed a way in and a roof access sounded like a perfectly good option.

It wasn't easy to find at least not for her. There were rooftop A/C units, exhaust fans, little condensing units for those small split systems that only served one room. Pipes that looked like they had been cut off with nothing placed on top of them. There was yellow painted pipe routed to several of those rooftop A/C units along with white pipes that ran across the roof and ended at roof drains, like the one she had climbed up.

Still she found something that would fit her. It wouldn't open so she pulled out her dice then tried again and smiled when it opened. Suddenly Kate was liking being a spy, now she was wondering what other cool gizmos B5 could make for her.

There was a simple ladder that went down into darkness. She pulled the roof hatch closed behind her and waited for her eyes to adjust, like she did when she went to the movies and got there late. Brushing her hand over the wall, she found a light switch, flipped it ON, and found herself in mixed-use room. There was exposed wiring on a large piece of plywood, shelving that held toilet paper, paper towels, and paper napkins like those in a public restroom. There was also a sink and a bucket on wheels with a mop in it.

She listened at the door and heard nothing then tried the door only to find it locked, so she pulled out her dice again, pulled the door open, and peeked outside. There was a maze of low walls that had desks at them with offices on either side. She decided to pick an office and closed the door behind her only to find her office door locked. "Of course," she moaned and pulled out her dice and pushed the door open.

There was just enough light to see what she was doing as she sat down in the chair after pulling out her block and placing it on the keyboard. A moment later the top turned green which made her smile. A few moments later the green light disappeared so she got up and closed the office door behind her then saw a flashlight waving not too far away.

She ducked into one of the cubicles, pressed the gem in her palm, and found herself in the kitchen. The next thing she knew, Alexis was hitting her in her chest, forcing Kate to wrap her arms around Alexis. "Hi Alexis, miss me?" She held Alexis tight.

"Meow. Purr." _Of course I missed you. I love you._

Alexis rubbed her face into Kate's chest and lower chin. "How's Rick, any change?" She walked up to the medical bed, looked in, and immediately closed her eyes. Since Rick was lying on his stomach it meant his back, or what was left of it, was exposed for all to see.

She put Alexis back on her stool. "I'm going to go shower and change, I've been rolling around on some dirty roof. …It did work, right? Please tell me it worked." She didn't want to do it again.

"The data has been corrupted as planned. Nice work."

She picked up her Christmas present on the way to her room to see when her appointment was. "January 3, 2000." It even gave her an address and a time. Now she had something to look forward to!

Kate came back wearing the same socks and shoes but simple yoga pants and another t-shirt with no bra. "Still no change?" She bent down and kissed Alexis's fur. Her quick look at Rick told her he was the same.

"I'm going to start dinner, you want something?" She moved to the other side of the island. She found a wok in a cabinet, frozen vegetables, some frozen chicken, soy sauce, ginger sauce, and fish sauce. Everything she needed for a quick stir fry.

"Meow." Alexis gave Kate a weak answer. _No thanks._

She had her stir fry done in no time and was now putting Alexis's dinner on a desert plate then placed it on the counter. "Get over here and eat your dinner. I'm not telling Rick that you starved yourself to death because he was hurt," she called across the room.

"ALEXIS!" Kate gave her one last warning and watched her jump from her stool to the dining room table, to another stool, and onto the island countertop. Alexis squatted down and started to slowly eat.

She was cleaning up while Alexis was finishing up the last of her meal. She turned on the dishwasher and picked up Alexis. "Come on, you can watch TV with me and keep me company." She headed for the TV in the living room and sat down with Alexis in her lap and slowly petted her while she channel hopped trying to find something to watch.

She didn't remember falling asleep; when she woke up the TV was still on and she was lying on the sectional with no Alexis in sight. Kate yawned and stretched before walking into the kitchen, finding Alexis right where she thought she would - sitting on her stool watching Rick.

"You're going to burn the image of his back into your mind if you're not careful," she warned Alexis as she opened the refrigerator to get a cold bottle of water.

"Meow." _I can't leave him._

She walked over to Alexis and leaned down to kiss her fur while trying not to look at Rick's back. "Just don't stay up all night watching. You need sleep too." She kissed her again, went up to her bedroom, and changed into something to wear for bed.

Then Kate got brave. She went across the hall and crawled into Rick's bed where she buried her face in his pillow. It smelled like him. The pillow, the sheets, the comforter, everything. She wrapped his scent around her and went to sleep.

xxxxxxxxXXXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXxxxXXXxxXXxXxXxxXXx

She had avoided looking at Rick and his exposed back. Alexis might not be afraid of engraving that view in her brain but Kate was, so there she was in the exercise room running madly to nowhere. She had a towel, bottle of water, and had found that the room had a built-in stereo system and that it was connected to the audio system in the movie viewing lounge upstairs. It seemed like it had every musical choice on the planet already in it.

She had chosen a record that was filled with soft music to start off with, building up to music that was faster and louder. Right now she was running as fast as she dared on the treadmill while music blasted out of the speakers as she was sweating up a storm.

What she didn't hear was Alexis trying to get her attention. " **ROAR!** " _Kate I need you to listen to me_ _!_

She immediately clicked off the treadmill and turned to see Alexis changing back into her tabby cat form. She walked over to the wall and killed the music. "What's up?"

"Meow!" _I need you to come see_ _!_ Alexis took off running.

Kate grabbed her towel and dried off her face. She picked up her water bottle, took a big drink, and exited the room. She didn't see Alexis anywhere, though she had no doubt where she would be.

She walked into the kitchen. Alexis was on her stool and watched her walk into the kitchen.

"Meow!" _Come look Kate!_

"Alexis, you know I don't want to see his back again. I can't look at him when he looks like that." She somehow knew what Alexis wanted her to do, not that she understood a word she said as of yet.

"Meow…Meow." _Please Kate…Please._

She sighed, placed her towel and water bottle on the dining room table then moved cautiously to take a quick peek just to get Alexis off her case. What she saw got her to step up next to the medical bed and place her hands on the glass and look inside. "WOW!" What she wanted to do was get her hands on that back and feel it to verify what she was seeing. "He looks great!" She was smiling. It was a major change from what she remembered.

"Kate?" a quiet voice called. She scrambled around the bed and almost knocked Alexis off her perch as she kneeled down to look him in the face since his head was turned towards Alexis.

"RICK! …Hi, you sacred the crap out of us." She smiled again as she wiped away the tears that had started.

"Sorry..." Then she watched him close his eyes as he faded back into sleep.

"We'll be here Rick, we'll both be here." She kissed the glass and turned to Alexis. "He's going to be alright." She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince.

"Meow." _There's more Kate._

"Pick up the house phone Kate," B5 told her.

"What? Why? It's not ringing."

"It is an outgoing call that you are making. Pick up the phone."

She didn't get it but went over to the cordless phone that was in this room and held it to her ear. She heard it ringing on the other end.

"Hello?" a female voice answered.

"Hello?" Kate responded softly not knowing what this was about.

"Is there something I can help you with? I'm very busy at the moment. Are you calling about the delivery because it's about damn time."

She raised her free hand over her mouth. She thought she knew that voice, but it wasn't possible, was it?

"Hello?" the lady on the other end asked again.

"Maddie? Madison Queller?" Kate could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she started to pray and got scared all at the same time.

"No one has called me Maddie since…" The empty sound lasted for a few seconds. "BECKS!? … K-BECKS? Is that really you?" Kate could hear her crying on the other end of the phone which only made Kate cry.

"Maddie, you don't know how good it is to hear your voice." She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Becks! How is this possible? Where the hell are you girl? Did you know that your parents think you're dead?" Actually they feared she was dead, but that wasn't how Madison remembered it.

"God, it's good to hear you and I'm in Manhattan now. Where are you?"

"NO WAY! …Where are you? Never mind, you can come here." Madison thought for a moment. "Can you meet me somewhere? Do you remember where we would sit and watch the boys go by and talk about which one was ours?" Madison tried to be cryptic. If Kate had been silent for the last 5 years, she had a good reason.

She started laughing. "Yeah, I remember." To her they had done just that a few months ago.

"You have an hour to get your skinny butt there and you better have a really good story Becks. One hour and this had better be really, really good." And Madison hung up on her.

What Kate couldn't see was Madison dancing while she yelled out orders and told her staff that she was going to be gone for a few hours and when she came back it had all better be done, and the two deliveries had better show up and what to do with them.

"THAT WAS MADDIE!" Kate was jumping up and down. "Where did you find her, how did you find her?"

"Madison Queller has applied for a liquor permit. As such she had to fill out a number of forms. You remembering her last name gave me something to work with which lead me to her address and phone number. If she tells you your last name or even better the names of your parents I can find them too."

"My parents!" Suddenly she was scared and very uneasy. She still didn't remember her parents. Not their names or even what they looked like.

"I gotta get changed and I'm going to need a taxi and some money." She ran to her room and started throwing clothes on her bed as she tried to decide what to wear from what little she had to choose from.

She was back in the kitchen dressed as best she could. "You should find Richard's wallet somewhere in his room. He would not have taken it with him in case he was captured. And your taxi is already waiting for you." Kate ran for Rick's bedroom.

She found his wallet easily and took every bill he had while checking to see what kind of money he had without actually counting it. A mix of 20s and smaller told her it should be enough and she ran for the front door. She came up short in front of the door. "Meow?" _Can I come too?_

"Alexis, what are you doing down here?" Kate missed what Alexis had asked. She turned her head to look at where Rick was, roughly.

"This is my past Alexis. Maddie knows things that I don't. I have to go." She tried to get Alexis to understand. Alexis figured out that Kate didn't get it so she rubbed up against Kate's legs and complained, getting Kate to pick her up, which allowed Alexis to do her best to snuggle into Kate's arms.

"Oh no, you're not going with. You need to watch Rick." Kate thought she got it and then heard the taxi honk his horn. She moaned. "Okay fine. But if you blab this to Rick, I'll find a way to get back at you." She was just opening the outer door. "KEYS!"

The panel just inside the door lit up and B5 talked to her. "I am capable of locking and unlocking every door and window in this house." She shrugged her shoulders, closed the door then went out to her taxi and told him where to go.

She was a spy now so she started to think like one and gave the taxi driver an address that was close to where she wanted to go, but not that close, which meant she had to walk to get there carrying Alexis in her arms.

"Meow?" _Excited?_

"I'm freaking out, that's what I'm doing." She started to walk towards the edge of a park where she and Madison would sit and watch the NYU college boys walk past, some of them holding onto girls their own age.

As their bench came into view she could see a tall lady with long blonde hair dressed very nicely wearing heels, walking back and forth with her fingers in her mouth.

"Maddie." Kate whispered. Madison looked so different. She looked good and had filled out nicely. God it had been 5 long years.

"Meow?" _Why are we waiting?_ Alexis thought she wanted to meet her old friend.

"I'm scared Alexis. She was one of my best friends. She knows things and has obviously been talking to my parents. It's been 5 years. Five years that she has and I don't." Kate was thinking about backing up and going home. She didn't realize that she was thinking of Rick's house as home.

Alexis rubbed up against Kate. "Meow." _Let's go Kate._

Kate took a deep breath and started walking. She watched as Madison kept biting her nails, which had her chuckling since it was so Maddie. Madison looked better and better as Kate got closer. She was almost on her before Madison spotted her. She must really look different or not what Madison was expecting.

"Becks?" Madison talked through her hands that were at her mouth. "K-Becks!" Kate watched her take a few quick strides and hugged her until Alexis squeaked in complaint.

Madison jumped back. "Sorry! I'm so sorry." She reached in a hesitant hand to give the cat in Kate's arms a quick pet, getting ready to withdraw her hand from a paw filled with claws.

"Hi Maddie. This is Alexis." Kate lifted her arms just a touch. "Alexis?" Madison gave Alexis's face a light scratch and felt Alexis push her head into her hand. Madison withdrew her hand.

"Okay Becks start talking. You've been missing for 5 horrible years...and your parents! God, your parents. They are going to be so happy to see you! Now start talking."

Madison looked furious. So Kate sat down on their bench with Alexis in her lap and watched Madison sit down next to her and look only at her.

"It's a long story," Kate warned her.

"Give me the short version and then we can talk over dinner, because if you think I'm letting go of you till I know everything, think again. And I'm cooking. My place and then we're calling your parents. Now start talking." Madison took hold of one of her hands and held it in a tight grip.


	11. Chapter 11

**CH11**

"Where to even start?" Kate wasn't even sure how to handle this. "First you should know that I have a lot of memory loss. I know little to nothing about the last 5 years and in some cases, such as people's names, it goes back even farther." She started off with a warning.

"You're shitting me? Five years!? Okay, start at the beginning and hit the highlights. Then we're going to my place. You're thin Becks, way too thin." Madison remembered Kate being thin but she looked even thinner, and those clothes!

"I don't know where I was or even how it happened. I can remember us talking about something then we split up and I headed home."

"And you never made it. Your parents called mine and came over then drilled me about everything I knew. I had just left you and you didn't have that far to go. It was daylight and you were going to take the subway to get home like always. It was nothing you hadn't done before."

"Your parents called me for weeks to see if you had contacted me in anyway. I think they feared you had run away for some stupid reason and that I knew something and was covering it up." Madison had been mad about that. To think that Kate's parents thought so little of her had pissed her off.

"After a while they stopped calling. I stopped trying to keep up with them until recently after they accused me of knowing something and not telling them. I met with them just last month. Your mother quit her job not long after you went missing."

Kate raised her had towards her mouth. "Oh god!" She didn't remember her mother, but she knew she loved her work.

"Now what happened?" Madison had interrupted Kate enough.

"I don't really know. I only know what I do from the man who saved me."

"You have a man in your life? Way to go Becks! What's his name?"

"Well, I don't know how much he's in my life or if he even wants to be." She still didn't understand Rick.

"Meow." _He's just scared Kate._

"Alexis?" Kate didn't need her interrupting and missed what she had said.

"But you want him to be." Madison was basing it off the Kate she used to know.

Kate started smiling. "Maybe."

"Maybe my ass! Now what's his name?" Madison always did have to push Kate to get anything.

"Rick, his name is Rick," she said and feared that wasn't going to be enough for Maddie.

"Rick what?" Madison squeezed Kate's hand. "Rick what?"

She closed her eyes. "Richard Castle." Please don't let her know who he is.

"Richard Castle. The author, Richard Castle? No frickin' way! …Isn't he something like 30 something years old?" Meaning he was way too old for her.

"Rick is 26, if you must know, and he's not too old for me." Though she knew the difference between 26 and 15 made him way too old for her.

"And you're what?" Madison had to think about that for a moment. "Twenty or so? Six years isn't too bad." Madison felt better about that. Then something hit her. "Wait, when did he start writing anyway? High school?" Madison knew about Castle from Johanna and her love of his books. She tried to do the math in her head.

"He's 26 Maddie, so just stop." Kate could see her wheels spinning. Madison started laughing. It really was Kate.

"Becks, you said memory loss. What do you remember?" Madison had another math problem she was thinking about.

"None of it. The last 5 years are a blank."

"Meow." _You'll get some of it back Kate._

She bent down and kissed Alexis's fur.

"Five years." Madison tried to understand what that meant. "You're 20, right? My god Becks." She squeezed Kate's hand even harder.

Her eyes pricked and she blinked back the tears. Madison leaned in to hug Kate without crushing the cat. "I'm so sorry Becks. I can't imagine what it is like to lose 5 years of your life. My imagination isn't good enough for that." Madison began crying with her.

She wiped the tears from her eyes. Having to share her lost 5 years with someone made it hurt all the more.

"Meow." _You still have us Kate._

She hugged Alexis and wondered just what was left of her life.

"You said Rick found you? Where did he find you?" Madison asked a question that was hard for Kate to answer.

"Rick thinks I was picked up, drugged, and then sold into a man's harem where he kept me for 5 years. He kept me drugged so that I didn't even know my own name."

"You were sold? Like a slave?" Madison sat back a little but didn't let go of Kate's hand. "A harem. You mean like a sex…" She stopped talking. Madison knew they were both virgins when Kate had disappeared. "OH MY GOD!" She covered her mouth with one of her hands.

"Okay, we're going to my place now. This is no place for a conversation like this." Madison stood and kept hold of Kate's hand. "Come on Becks, we're going to my place and you're telling me everything." She pulled and dragged Kate who was holding on to Alexis to find a taxi.

It turned out Madison owned a one bedroom condo on the 33rd floor that was almost all glass with an amazing view. Kate walked over to the window in the living room. "Nice Maddie, really nice. How can you afford this?" she asked as she put Alexis down on the floor with a warning. "Be nice!"

"Meow." _I'm fine._

"I have one of my own long stories. Just not as dramatic as yours." Madison admitted. "Not long after you went missing I was walking down the street headed for a subway station to go home. It sounds much like what you did before you disappeared. Except while you disappeared, I got hit by a drunk driver. A rich one in this case."

"He was driving on a suspended license after having his license revoked from his countless DUIs. He had already been arrested twice for driving without a license while under the influence. His lawyer got him out of most of them, up until he hit me. He broke my right leg and fractured my pelvis. It took me months to learn to walk again. I've only been walking for the last 3 years, the last 2 in heels."

"How do you walk in those things anyway?" Kate didn't have any heels and hadn't had any at fifteen.

Madison started laughing. "Practice Becks, lots and lots of practice. Which reminds me." She took her shoes off and dropped them on the floor. "Get the wrong shoes and the strap on the back rubs your skin raw. Get the wrong size or the wrong type and you can kiss your toes goodbye. And walk in them for any length of time and your calf muscles will start screaming at you. Start running in them and you can kiss your shins goodbye."

"Still you wouldn't believe what adding 4 or more inches to your height can get you. The man you're with - you have to reach way up on tippy toes to kiss him. Put on your 4-inch heels and his lips are right there in front of you. So much easier to wrap your arms around his neck wearing heels. Easier to look him in the eye too." Madison was smiling as she opened the refrigerator to see what she had, because Kate was going to get her best.

She quickly turned around and looked at Kate. "OH GOD, I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid. Here I'm talking about kissing guys and you've… I'm really sorry Becks. I didn't mean…" Kate interrupted her.

"It's okay Maddie, at least one of us has done something. Maybe when I use my Christmas present and go shopping I can take you with me."

"Shopping with someone else's money? Count me in!" They both chuckled.

"I'm sorry Becks. Sometimes I wonder about me." Madison still couldn't believe she was so…

"Honest, its fine Maddie. I don't remember any of it so to me I'm still…" Kate was sure she would have found someone to give her virginity to by now.

Alexis took that moment to leap up on Madison's island. "That's quite a cat you have. I never really saw you as a cat person. I always thought of you as a dog person," Madison mentioned and turned to look at the cat on her countertop.

"Madison NO! You can't say that word," Kate warned her as they both watch Alexis arch her back with her hair standing straight up and hissed. "Say what word? Dog?" Madison shrieked and jumped back when Alexis hissed even louder and took a wild swing at Madison with her claws all the way out.

"ALEXIS!" Kate leapt for Alexis, took hold of her then started cooing in her ear, trying to get her to calm down.

"ROWL!" _She said you like DOGS!_ Alexis hissed that last word.

"Madison hasn't seen me in 5 years Alexis. She doesn't mean anything by it. Shush now. I'm a cat person Alexis, just relax." Kate petted her and kissed her fur.

Madison watched the interaction between them and had even more questions, however, she decided to hold onto them for the time being.

She was taking things out of her refrigerator when her phone rang. "Hello? …No, I can't. …Yes that would be perfect. Make sure the walk-ins and the stand alones are all at the proper temperature after you load them and just walk away. We end up with soup instead of frozen food and I'll hang you in there after I have it fixed. …You're doing great, I'll be there before everyone in the morning." Madison hung up.

"Am I keeping you from something?" Kate could go back to Rick.

"NO, absolutely not. I'm just having some deliveries today that I don't really have to be there for. Though I would like to be able to inspect what I'm getting before they put it away, but I can do it in the morning," Madison assured her and started organizing things for their meal.

"Deliveries?"

"The idiot that hit me had to pay a hefty sum after I sued him. I'm using the money to open my first restaurant. I finished my management classes while you were gone."

"That's great Maddie. You said your big dream was to open a five star restaurant. Where is it and what's it called?"

"It's here in Manhattan and it's called Q3."

"Q3 as in Queller 3? That's sweet. When does it open, I'll try and get Rick to take us there." She prayed that it was after she went shopping with or without Madison.

"In about a week. January 5th to be precise. I tried to make it in time for at least Christmas when I found out Thanksgiving wasn't going to happen. I've had some construction delays due to some shoddy work. And I'd love to have you and Rick come. Having a known writer and his girlfriend on opening night would make good press. I'll make sure to send you 2 passes for the best table in the place."

"Here write down your address and phone number and I'll have the passes delivered by the end of the week." Madison slapped down a piece of paper and a pen.

Kate was writing. "What are we eating and do you need help. I know how to cook, some." She wasn't secure in her ability to cook.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you so I'm having to make do, however, we're are starting with Romano beans braised with Early Girl tomatoes, Gold Bar squash, Confit, Cerignola olives, basil buds, and crispy chickpea "Tuile," followed by the main course of Devil's Gulch Ranch rabbit, creamed garden chard, crispy Tuscan kale, and Long of Naples squash purée."

"Oh Maddie, you don't need to go to that much trouble. A simple hamburger will do nicely."

"Not a chance Becks. My best friend who has been missing for 5 years is sitting in my place and I'm going to cook her something she's not going to forget. Besides this will be just a hint of what will be served when I get my restaurant open."

"In that case I insist that I help, besides it sounds complicated."

"It is just a little. Okay fine, kick off your shoes and socks and get in here. Just do what I tell you when I tell you. I need to get this rabbit started or we're going to be eating pizza. …And don't even think it." Madison pointed her finger at Kate who had her mouth hanging open to offer to do just that.

Kate pulled out a barstool, patted it, and walked around in the kitchen knowing that Alexis would take the hint and jump up to sit on it so she could watch.

"You and that cat seem close. Did I see you talking to her earlier?" Madison asked while she was working and giving Kate orders.

"Alexis is special. I'd give a lot to understand what each meow means." Kate thought she understood sometimes but worried that it was more about the situation and how she thought Alexis thinks.

"Meow." _You're closer than you think Kate._

"Okay what did she just say?"

"I…I think she wishes I could too."

"Meow." _More than you know Kate._

"That was a yes. Even I heard that one." A little later Madison finished browning the rabbit in a pan, slipped it into roasting pan and slid it into the oven, followed by setting the alarm. "Twenty minutes before I coat it again followed by an hour of flipping it every 15 minutes and coating it each time. Then uncover it and turn the heat up and keep basting it every 15 minutes."

"You could have chosen something… " Kate stopped talking when she saw the face Madison was giving her. "Right, I'm shutting up now."

"Good!" Madison told her what to do next and stood back to watch. "So tell me about Rick."

Kate squeezed her eyes closed for a moment. She had been dreading this. "I've seen his picture so I know he's easy on the eyes." Kate smiled. "I saw that smile. You like him."

"Rick has been hurt in the past, very badly and he's hard to reach."

"Meow." _Please don't give up on him Kate._

She turned and looked at Alexis.

"Now what did she say?"

"I just don't know how to get Rick out of his shell. I don't know what I'm doing Maddie. I'm just a 15 year old kid." Kate knew she didn't have any experience. Five years of potential boyfriends to practice with had vanished.

Madison stepped up behind Kate and hugged her from behind. "Those 5 years have placed you at a disadvantage, but the Kate Beckett I know wouldn't give up so easily." Madison backed up a step when Kate suddenly turned around on her.

"Beckett! My last name is Beckett?" Her eyes were open wide.

"You didn't know?" Now it was Madison who had her eyes open wide in shock, only to watch Kate shake her head. "Just how much memory do you still have?" Madison was concerned for her friend.

"I don't know anyone's name, not even my parents. I can't even picture them in my mind. They're complete strangers to me. I can think of them, remember some of what they taught me, like Mom teaching me to cook. I remember Dad hated my first boyfriend."

"Mark Larkin. Yeah, sorry Becks but I'm with your dad on that guy. I don't know what you saw in that jerk."

"Mark was nice to me."

"Yeah, you and only you. You remember what happened when you were just talking to that other boy?"

"There was a fight?"

"That's putting it mildly. Mark got expelled and you never saw him again. Which I count as a good thing in my book." Madison was laughing.

"There hasn't been much between him and Rick. I guess that's my main problem, Maddie. "

"And you like Rick." Madison looked at her and saw the face she was making. "Oh you've got it bad Becks. Have you at least kissed him yet? Or him you?"

"Once. I think we were celebrating something and I kissed him."

"AND? …Did he kiss you back?" Madison asked. "Wow you've got your work cut out for you. Is this what you wear all the time?"

"It's all I have. I was practically naked when Rick found me. …I did get a Christmas present from him to go shopping for new clothes. Something about going to a sizing for someone's exclusive clothing line."

"Stir." Madison pointed getting her to pay attention to what she should be doing. "Taste?" Madison leaned in and let Kate place the wood spoon in her mouth. "Getting there, add these three when I tell you." Madison moved them close to Kate.

"Well, it sounds like he cares about you if he's willing to go shopping with you. Most men hate shopping for clothes, even their own clothes. Have you still got my number?" Kate shrugged her shoulders. B5 had made the call.

Madison grabbed another piece of paper and a pen and wrote down her address and phone number. "Here stuff this down your bra so you don't lose it."

"It doesn't fit right. I'm not a 15 year old flat-chested girl anymore Maddie. One day I was and the next I wasn't. Everything changed overnight." Kate was ready to cry again.

"Have you had…" Madison watched Kate shake her head. "Stir that and add those ingredients, I'll be right back."

Moments later Madison returned with a plastic bag and dumped it all on the island for Kate to see as she placed each one back in the bag. "Tampons - mine - not sure what you used and things have changed a little in the last 5 years. Lipstick, eye make-up including smudge proof mascara, some base, blush and brush, and 2 condoms."

"What, don't give me that shocked look. You like Rick and you're a 20 year old woman now who isn't flat-chested anymore and you have needs. And if Rick is as locked up behind his shell as you say, you're the one who is going to have to make the first move."

"Have you seen him?" Madison asked. Kate knew exactly what she meant. And since Kate was blushing... "You have, haven't you. Did you like what you saw? Did you get to touch him?" Kate started to cough and have trouble breathing. "You have, haven't you. What did he do?" Madison waited this time for Kate to answer her question.

"He stopped me and ran."

"WOW, that is some shell he's got. Has he seen you naked yet?" Madison kept asking questions and then opened the oven when the alarm went off, took care of the rabbit, closed the oven, and reset the alarm.

Kate shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe." Kate wasn't sure he had looked at her. Most of the time he kept turning his back on her when she was naked.

"Yup, you are definitely going to need to make the first move. You said you were going shopping and you are definitely going to be taking me with you. We need to get you some clothes that will make his eyes pop out of his head and get you some heels. DO NOT FORGET TO CALL ME!"

"Meow. Meow." _I like her. And I know_ _D_ _ad likes you._

"You like salmon? Fresh salmon?" Madison was looking at Alexis.

"Meow?" _You have fresh salmon?_

"Take that off the heat and serve it up in bowls. It should be ready by now," Madison told Kate who did as directed. Madison went diving into her refrigerator and dropped half a salmon still in its wrapper on the island.

"MEOW!" Alexis stood up on her stool. Madison started laughing. "I'll take that as a 'Yes.' I don't know what your problem is Becks. Speaking cat doesn't seem that hard." Madison was smiling as she teased Kate.

"Just try it without a giant piece of fresh salmon. If she eats that whole thing, she'll end up sick all night long and Rick will kill me." Both of them laughed while they watched Alexis have eyes only for the piece of salmon on the island countertop.


	12. Chapter 12

**CH12**

"This is delicious!" Kate tried to fill her mouth with rabbit as fast as she could.

Madison laughed as she watched Kate stuff her face like she remembered her doing years ago. "Thanks. You should see what my head chief can make and you will since I'm sending you two tickets for the kitchen table on opening night. You just be sure to be there with this boyfriend of yours." Madison wanted to meet him.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"But you want him to be don't you?"

Kate slowed down eating. "I don't know that Rick wants anything to do with me. As soon as my parents find out, he'll kick me out of his home and never look back." She didn't think she stood a chance. And he'd probably demand that B5 take the gem out of her palm and give back her other gizmos.

"Meow." _You leave him to me Kate._

"I'm telling you you're going to have to make the first move Becks. Have you even gone out on a date yet?" Madison questioned, only to see Kate shake her head.

"Well, you've got a date when I open I suppose. Let me make a few calls and see if I can find you a more romantic place to eat. Eating in my kitchen is likely to be noisy, though away from all the guests out front. I am, however, going to make sure that everyone knows I have Richard Castle in my kitchen along with his girlfriend."

"Maddie…?" Madison waved her hands to get Kate to stop. "If we start calling you his girlfriend then he is going to start thinking of you as being his girlfriend."

"Meow!" _Girlfriend, I like it_ _!_ Alexis was thinking of going to call her that from now on.

Ice cream was desert followed by Kate going home after Madison called a taxi for her. "You remember to show up Becks. If you don't I'm going to send someone to go get you two. Unless you are in bed together doing other things." Madison smiled as she teased Kate.

"MADDIE!? …Seriously Maddie!" She was shocked.

"You are a 20 year old woman Becks. I know you may not think it, but you are. And it's time you started acting your age. Now go home and kiss your man. Tell him that he is yours and you're not letting go of him." Madison waved bye as the taxi drove off. "BECKS WAIT! ... You forgot the number and address for your, ... parents." Madison sighed. She was so dead when Johanna found out and got her hands on her.

"Alexis, what would Rick do if I just up and kissed him?" Kate asked as she petted Alexis.

"Meow." _Run for the hills._ "Meow!" _Wait a couple of days, things will change soon_ _!_

"I'm not Maddie, I don't want to scare him off. I need someone to help me. I don't know what to do." Kate bent her head down and kissed Alexis's head.

She put Alexis down when they came in the front door and went to see Rick. She took a peek at his back that thought he looked just a little better. She walked around the medical bed and looked at his face and was amazed that it looked untouched. "Rick." She placed her hand on the glass.

She couldn't do what Madison wanted her to do. He had to stay in that thing until he was better, so no dates, and no kissing. She kissed the glass instead.

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxXXxxX

It was December 31st. Alexis was eating on the island countertop and Kate was eating at the breakfast bar at the same island. They liked what they were seeing the last two days. Rick's back looked so very much better as did his face.

"Regeneration complete," B5 suddenly announced and slid back the plexiglass top exposing Rick.

Alexis left her food and jumped for the dining room table as Kate dropped her fork and rushed around the table to see Rick trying to get up and groaning as he did. Kate helped him sit up. "How do you feel? You look a lot better."

"MEOW!" _Hi_ _D_ _ad!_

"My back itches," he announced as he reached back to try and scratch the itch. However Kate grabbed his hand to stop him. "They whipped your back and laid it open something awful Rick, just leave it alone, please." She didn't want him back in the medical bed.

"Did I see you there?" He had dreamed about it off and on for days.

She smiled. "Yep. I rescued you. B5 made me a Class One agent and gave me a jewel to transport from place to place like you do. It's how I got to you." She was very proud of herself.

"Give it back. B5 remove the activation gem from her hand." He looked at the wall that was B5.

She backed up. "Not a chance Rick. What if you need help again? Who's going to come get you?"

"You weren't selected for this job and you haven't had the training. You already know too much as it is. B5 overstepped her authority, now give it back! B5!?" He looked at the wall again.

" **MEOW! MEOW!"** _Stop being an ass_ _D_ _ad_ _!_ _Kate cares about you, and with the way you treat her I don't know why_ _!_

"Stay out of this Alexis. You're not the Class One Supervisor on this planet last time I looked."

"MEOW!" _That was mean_ _D_ _ad!_ Alexis jumped down off of the dining room table and ran out of the room, leaving her unfinished dinner behind.

"That was uncalled for Rick! We love you, Alexis more than anyone and that was just plain mean. You're an ass Richard Castle. Maybe you deserve to live your life all alone!" Kate was seething mad.

She hurried around the end of the table and ran out of the kitchen. "ALEXIS, WAIT!"

"Why did you give her an activation gem? You know that's against regulations. You had no authority to do that. You leave me little choice but to report you."

"I am a B5 AI unit. The completion of each mission is paramount and supersedes your orders, then and now. The Chinese had to be redirected away from completing their research and having successful tests. You were incapacitated, unconscious, and their prisoner. You were no longer able or qualified to complete the mission. I used my authority to obtain a satisfactory completion of the mission that you failed to complete. Your failure will need to be reported and you know this."

"Besides Kate performed the job given her admirably, despite the circumstances. Granted she has not had the training that you have, however a field commission is not unheard of, and a Class One agent is the minimum necessary to receive the activation gem," B5 pointed out while defending her actions. "Why did you fail?" B5 asked since she had to pass that along as well.

He hung his head. "I missed having Alexis at my side and knowing that I left her in Kate's hands didn't help any."

"You were on a Chinese destroyer for one part of the mission and you know how much Alexis hates water. And what does Kate have to do with it?"

Rick fell out of the bed and felt his knees buckle momentarily. It was only then that he noticed that he was naked. "Because Kate is a beautiful woman and she is interfering with my concentration."

"Richard, you are still a human male no matter how many years you spent on an alien planet undergoing testing and augmentation to your body. You are not an alien and Kate is attractive."

"I cannot afford an emotional or physical relationship. This posting is too important for my personal feelings. She'll be gone as soon as you find out what her name is anyway. Regardless, I need a shower and some clothes." He headed for his bedroom to take that shower and get some clothes. He stopped at the doorway of his bedroom.

"Why does he hate me Alexis? I'm never going to make it past all of the emotional armor." Kate was sitting on Rick's bed having found Alexis curled up on his pillow. Kate was leaning against his headboard. It was a bed she knew well since she had been sleeping in it with Alexis while Rick was in the medical bed.

"Meow. Meow." _He doesn't hate you Kate. He's just scared of his feelings._

"But he hurt you Alexis. He should know better."

"Meow." _It was just an argument._

"It was still mean of him, and he didn't even thank me for saving his life. That was scary with all those people carrying around guns." She hadn't liked it but needed to save Rick.

"Meow. Meow." _Give him a chance Kate. He's just scared, don't give up now._

"MEOW!?" _Are you going to ask Maddie how to contact your parents_ _!_ _?_

"Not til after I go shopping using my Christmas present and after we have dinner at Maddie's restaurant. I'll ask her then." She made up her mind and hoped Maddie would hold her tongue til then.

"Meow." _Coward._

"I'm not a coward. I just don't know who they are. How do you say 'Hi Mom and Dad' and not know who they are? I don't have anything to talk to them about. They're just two more strangers." She knew meeting her parents would be a big deal. She just didn't know how to handle it.

"Meow." _Take me and_ _D_ _ad with you._

Kate laughed wryly. "That'll go over big. 'Hi Dad. I don't know who you are but I want you to meet my boyfriend and his talking cat.' …Yeah, I can see it now." She kept laughing.

Rick retreated to the hallway; he needed to think. First, Kate was actually talking _with_ Alexis not just to Alexis. When did that happen? Second, when did she learn of someone who knew who her parents were and why didn't she want to talk to them? Third, when the hell did he become her boyfriend? Did he want to be her boyfriend? Even worse, she had Alexis on her side instead of being on his. Alexis knew him better than anyone and he wasn't scared of Kate. Was he?

He needed a way to get into his own bedroom. So he walked across the hall to her bedroom, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around himself.

Kate and Alexis were still talking as he started to walk in. "Maddie said I would have to make the first move. But I don't know how to do that. I don't have much experience with boys let alone grown men. And Rick is definitely all man." She smiled after remembering what he looked like below the belt.

"Meow." _Your friend is right._

Alexis knew Rick was never going to ask Kate out on a date. "Rick is a little too old for me to ask him to take me to a movie and then make out in the back row. I'm going to need something better than that."

He stopped in his tracks. Kate was trying to figure out how to ask him out on a date? It was true he hadn't been out with a woman - human or alien - in years. Meredith was the last person he had sex with and that was before she even knew she was pregnant.

Rick sucked it up and walked quickly to his bathroom, only he was spotted. Kate wolf whistled. "Looking good Rick." She placed a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Meow." _Ask him Kate._

"I've never asked anyone out on a date. I've only been out on what might be called dates like twice. My parents even drove me," She moaned, since she was so in over her head.

"MY PARENTS!" Kate could see them, just not get a good look at their faces, but she had a vague idea.

"Meow!" _Ask him to take you on a date_ _!_ Alexis offered an alternative.

"Leave it to Rick to decide where we go and what we do. Aren't guys supposed to do that anyway?" she questioned. "I don't go shopping for another 3 days. I don't have anything to wear on a date."

Rick came out of the bathroom. He went to the dresser then the closet and took his clothes back into the bathroom without saying a word. Eventually he came back out fully dressed, much to Kate's displeasure. She watched him sit on the end of the bed, felt Alexis leave her arms, and step into Rick's.

He held Alexis tight as she rubbed her face up against his. "Meow?" _May_ _Kate stay please?_

"Do you have any idea what you're asking?" Rick questioned Alexis. It was beyond personal.

"Meow!" _I trust her, you can too_ _!_

"It's not about trust Alexis and you know it. This is personal. Something that takes us back to…" Alexis interrupted him. "Meow. Meow!?" _Please let her in. Please!?_

"What are you two talking about?" Kate caught part of it, but for some reason she didn't understand, she didn't get all of it.

"Meow. Meow." _Please let her in. You need someone._

"Oh, Alexis. If only it was that simple." Rick started blinking back tears as he hugged her and kissed her fur.

Kate moved to sit on the end of the bed with both of them. She was amazed as she watched Alexis extract herself from Rick and step into her arms.

"Meow." _Please talk to her._

He hung his head. He never could say no to Alexis for anything. This, however, was asking a lot of him. "I know I told you that we got picked up by aliens from another planet and they downloaded Alexis into the collar she wears. If you open your heart and I mean really open it, you can understand her. The collar she wears holds her personality. It also gives her the ability to change between being a simple cat and being a Bengal tiger as you've no doubt seen by now."

"Alexis was 2 years old when she died. Well, 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days to be exact. In exchange for getting Alexis back I had to undergo training and have my body modified to complete the missions that I take on."

"They want our planet to succeed and my job is to make sure no one nation creates a military advantage that would upset the delicate balance. Better tanks, better fighters, sure. But smaller and smaller nuclear bombs? No. No to space-based missile launchers, ballistic missiles for a country that only wants conflict. Anything that might lead to WWIII. Something small like another South Korea fight that doesn't include China or Russia is fine."

"It took them 8 long years to complete my training and make the alterations to my body. In return I got Alexis. She was 2 and she ages 1 year for every two. Alexis will be 8 in…two hours." Rick stopped and looked at Alexis who was in Kate's arms instead of his.

Kate looked at the alarm clock next to Rick's bed. "11:00 pm?" It was a strange time for a birthday.

"Wait. You said 8 years. I thought you said you were 26?" The math didn't add up. Just when did he have Alexis anyway? When he was what, 12 years old?

"Those 8 years never really happened." He saw the face Kate made at that. "Okay, here the time in question never actually took place. However for me and Alexis those years happened except she was kept from me except for an hour every two years, where she would age one year for every two I spent training. However i didn't age any during those 8 years."

"That must have hurt." She knew they were close and being separated like that must have been really painful.

"Meow. Meow." _It was hell. But it was worth it._

"I can't imagine a bond like that. I've heard of books that talk about a person having someone they are fated to meet. Soul Mates I think they called it. Fated to meet someone who they will love for all time. Just open up their heart and love them completely."

"Meow?" _And you don't believe?_

''It's pure fiction. No one loves anyone like that. What does any of this have to do with Alexis's birthday that is going to happen in 2 hours?" Didn't Rick mean in 3 hours since in 3 hours it would be tomorrow?

"Meow." _You're about to find out._

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXxxxxXXxxX

Kate sat with Alexis in her lap for almost the next 2 hours as she petted and kissed her, while Rick simply watched the two of them and kept his thoughts to himself.

"Almost time," he said. Kate felt Alexis get restless and let her move over into Rick's arms. "I love you Alexis. I loved you when you were born and I loved you when I watched you dying. You're the love of my life." He was crying and kissed Alexis again. She jumped down to the floor.

Alexis moved a few feet away and sat down and waited.

Kate didn't understand. In a couple of minutes it would be 11:00 pm. So what?

"Meow." _Don't be scared Kate._

Scared? Why would she be scared of a birthday? It was a time to celebrate. Why did this one sound more like a funeral? These two were far too serious about a birthday.

She heard Rick's watch sound an alarm and turned to look at him, but he only had eyes for Alexis.

Kate turned her head to look at Alexis who started crying out in pain. At first Kate wanted to get down on the floor, hold Alexis tight, and do what she could to make the pain go away. She knew that she loved Alexis, even if she hadn't said the words yet. Hearing her in pain was breaking her heart.

Except as she watched she couldn't believe it. It just wasn't possible.


	13. Chapter 13

**CH13**

Kate was watching but her mind just wasn't registering. She had to replay it in her head til she started to believe it.

She watched a small tabby cat transform slowly over about a minute as the sound of a cat in pain turned into the sound of a little girl in minor pain. She was standing there looking at a little girl with a soft white complexion who had long orange hair and also happened to be naked.

Alexis started crying. "Hi Daddy," she said through her tears. Rick opened his arms wide and Alexis leaped into them. He held her tight as they both cried. "God, I've missed you pumpkin, so very much." He started kissing her head. "It's good to see you too, Daddy." Alexis held onto Rick fiercely as though she would die if she let go.

He finally let go of her since he knew time was short. "Your clothes are in the closet pumpkin. You have your choice of three outfits. I hope they fit; I never know just how much you've grown. One of these days you're going to have a growth spurt and mess everything up," he joked and laughed a little while wiping his tears away.

"Thanks Daddy." Alexis turned and walked into the closet then began searching it for everything she would need.

Kate sat there with her mouth hanging open. What she wanted to say was "What the hell was that?" except all that came out was his name. "Rick?"

"It's one of the benefits of me accepting this job. I get Alexis who can live and talk with me as a cat, change into a tiger for her protection and once every two years we get one hour to be together with her as my little girl. I grow older by two years while Alexis only ages by about 6 months," he explained and wiped more of his tears away.

"One hour?"

He nodded. "From 11:00 to midnight every New Year's. One hour to celebrate her birthday and celebrate it as a little girl. One year she'll be a grown woman who will only be a woman for a single hour."

That simple answer nearly broke Kate's heart. Grow up and never have a job, never have a boyfriend, and with only one hour perhaps never know the joy of making love. Never get married and have kids while watching her father get older and older.

"What about her future?"

"I have a few ideas when that time comes, but I'm not going to force anything on her. Not today or ever. This is her hour. We do what she wants. Anything at all, anywhere I can take her."

One hour? If they stayed here Alexis would never see the sun as a human. Never see… Except Rick could teleport the two of them anywhere. London, Paris, Sydney, Moscow, Beijing. See the world one hour at a time every two years.

Alexis dressed as fast as she could since time was slipping away. In this case she chose a pull over sweater, jeans, socks and tennis shoes. She finished and stepped back out into the bedroom where Rick tied her hair back.

Rick knew the moment he saw her that going to a beach was out. Her clothes looked warm, so they were likely staying where it was cool outside.

Alexis walked right up to Kate. "Hi Kate!" Alexis hugged her, and placed her mouth against Kate's ear. "It really is me Kate and we're going on a date with Dad." She hugged Alexis tight and went rigid at the date comment. "Alexis?" She should be spending her time with Rick not involving her in her one hour of time.

"What are we doing this time pumpkin?" He wanted to get going. "Fun and pizza Daddy." Alexis answered his question after letting go of Kate. "Pizza?" He was shocked. Of all the things he had in mind, that wasn't one of them. "If you're sure?" Alexis smiled while nodding enthusiastically.

Rick wasn't ready for that, so down to B5 they all went to find a place to go that would be open at this time. He took hold of Alexis. "Take Dad's arm Kate," Alexis told her. Kate took a moment, thinking to decline; this was Rick and Alexis's time, not hers. "Please Kate." Her childish voice and look on Alexis's face settled it. Kate looped an arm under Rick's and held onto his arm with her other hand.

"Athens it is," Rick said and pressed the gem embedded in his hand.

It turned out to not be a pizza restaurant but a place where a pizza maker was holding a "how to make a pizza for kids" class in a parking lot of all places. Alexis was taught how to make the dough, followed by how to toss the dough without dropping it. There were 5 other boys and girls, all local doing the same thing. Alexis giggled loudly as she threw her crust up into the air and tried to catch it without ripping it into pieces. She tried to make hers look like a heart and wrote RC+KB into the crust edge. "KB?" Rick asked, puzzled "Kate found out from Maddie that her last name is Beckett" Alexis explained, smiling.

That made Rick happy and Kate worried.

Next it was time to spread the sauce. There were different kinds of sauce based on the ingredients she planned on putting on her pie. Alexis spread her sauce a little too enthusiastically and splattered it onto Kate. "Oops, sorry Kate!" Kate grabbed a napkin and wet it with her mouth and tried to rescue her top.

"Well, at least now you'll taste good Kate. Maybe Dad will eat you!" Alexis was giggling not knowing the innuendo she had just mentioned. Kate and Rick however had. They stared at each other. "What's the matter Rick? Are you… chicken?" Kate teased him.

"Yeah Dad, chicken, chicken, chicken!" Alexis nattered on not knowing what the topic was. "I am not chicken you two." Rick took exception to being called chicken. Then he figured out what he had said and saw Kate grinning at him while Alexis kept working on her pie, oblivious.

Next came the toppings for the pizza. There was a giant table that had everything that could possibly go on a pizza. There were the standard American ingredients plus several that were anything but. Chopped fresh rosemary, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, part-skim ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, baby arugula, shallots-thinly sliced, lemon juice, sliced prosciutto ham, shaved parmesan cheese for toppings.

Kate had never seen a pizza like it and didn't know half of what Alexis had put on it, still the guy in charge of the class seemed pleased. Kate's eyes opened wide as she took a tentative bite. "This is really good Alexis. We could open a pizza place with you as the chief. We'll make a fortune." She forgot that Alexis's hour was ending soon. Rick took a bite. "Very nice Alexis. Kate is right, you would make an excellent chef."

They ate their pizza quickly. "Fifteen minutes," Rick said looking at his watch. "Sightseeing maybe?" he suggested and got nods from Kate and Alexis. He found a quiet spot and pressed the gem embedded in his palm.

 _National Garden, Athens_

 _In the heart of Athens, the National Garden provides a green oasis for sunny afternoon trips. The Royal Garden has a private garden for the Royal Palace, which is now the Parliament Building. The Public Garden was established in 1923. This is a quiet and peaceful place away from the bustling city with a gorgeous green canopy of trees and vibrant plant life. Statues decorate the gardens as well as flower beds and small ruins of antiquity. The gardens of Zappeion can also be found here, which surround the ancient congress hall that was built in the 19th century._

They were walking through the gardens looking at all the plants and sculptures. Alexis hung onto Kate's arm with both hands.

"It's pretty Daddy." She was loving the moment for a lot of reasons. "I'm glad you like it pumpkin." One hour never seemed to be enough and yet his baby girl could be dead so this was well worth it. "Almost time," he forced himself to inform them.

"Stay here Dad." Alexis pulled Kate out of earshot. "Dad hasn't had anyone for a long time Kate, he's just scared. He told me about my mother; she hurt him bad, really bad. I've never met her and I don't want to since she hurt him. I've always wondered what it would be like to have a family. Please don't let daddy scare you off." Alexis had her own prayers.

"Just one hour every 2 years?" Kate had seen a lot lately and was for some reason okay with it."It's not as bad as it sounds Kate. I get to keep my Daddy and be his little girl once every two years. At least I got to keep him."

"And you're still you when you change back into a cat?"

"It's still me. Just let me into your heart Kate and you'll understand me."

"One minute," Rick called out.

"I love you Kate and I'm keeping you." Alexis ran for Rick and found herself wrapped up in his arms. "I love you Daddy," Alexis whispered. "I love you too, pumpkin, so very much," Rick said brokenly, tears evident in his voice as the end of their time was fast approaching.

"Please like Kate Daddy, she's really nice. You could like her too, just let her in. Please Daddy," Alexis begged him. "It's not that easy pumpkin, but for you I'll try." He offered the most he could.

"Take Kate for a date Dad; she's lost 5 years of her life and doesn't know what to dooooo." Alexis began feeling pain as she started changing. One minute later she was an orange and white tabby cat again. He leaned down, picked her up, and kissed her fur.

Kate walked over and petted Alexis. "I would never have guessed Rick; I'm so sorry. The pain you've been through is unimaginable, and you're such a good girl Alexis." She bent down to kiss the top of her head.

"Now you know our secret," Rick commented warily, not sure what to do next. "And I'll keep it Rick, till the day I die. I promise." She kissed his cheek.

"Since we're here shall we continue to be tourists?" Rick offered.

"So long as anywhere we go accepts cats, sure."

"Meow." _Count me in._

Rick took them back out of the garden and found them a taxi, one who actually spoke English. Soon they were standing in front of an outfit that sold tours. There were so many to choose from, way too many. "We need to stay away from tours that have tour buses because of Alexis," Kate pointed out. "There are taxi tours." Rick suggested since those weren't buses.

"Ride in a hot stinky taxi for four hours? Could you survive four hours in a NYC taxi?"

"Point taken. How about this one?" They settled on that one and found that it used a mini-van type vehicle to get from site to site. It at least looked and smelled clean and their guide and driver didn't say a word about Alexis.

 _First stop is Panathenian Stadium, an impressive white-marble structure that was the site of the first Olympic Games in 1896. During a look around inside hear tales of the stadium's architecture and reconstruction, and learn all about its history as one of the country's most renowned sports venues._

From there they walked to the Temple of Zeus and listened to their guide talk about the mysteries of the Greek Gods. Then they ended up in the National Gardens again. However this time they had a guide to tell them the history of the place and point out most of the foliage that could only be found here since it was local.

Walking outside the Gardens they went up close to the Parliament building and watched the changing of the guard. They felt a little out of place since there was a crowd all around them taking pictures and they didn't have a camera between them.

They circled round and got back into their mini-van then drove to the last site of the tour, The Acropolis! Their guide walked them around the site telling them stories, not only the stuff in history books. Rick was sure the guide was making it all up as they went, still it was fun.

He offered to take them back to their hotel. "We're going to stay and see if we can find someplace to eat," Rick told him.

"You will love Greek food. There are several places around here that have outside seating that will accept a cat. Just sit down and you will be waited on. If it helps you can try Passaggio. It is maybe smaller than some of the more fancy restaurants. It has limited outdoor seating and since it is a little cool for the locals this time of day you would likely be all alone. Just keep in mind that as the sun sets it will get colder." He even drove them there and gladly accepted Rick's generous tip for his services.

It turned out to be a small restaurant on a street corner that had bar seating as well as seating for four under umbrellas. It was more of a coffee bar that had a grill where hot sandwiches could be ordered. It turned out the guide was right, too. There were a couple of people sitting at the bar however the tables were empty. It looked like a glass enclosed four story office building was above it.

It was going to be dark in a couple of hours and it was starting to get a little colder. Neither of them had coats, so Rick found them a secluded place and pressed the gem embedded in his hand. In a moment they found themselves back home in the kitchen.

"Hungry Alexis?" he asked and watched her jump up onto the island countertop, sitting there swishing her tail back and forth.

"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled and opened another can of salmon. He also sprinkled some dry food on top and served it on her glass plate.

Kate sat there watching Alexis eat while Rick started cleaning the kitchen a little, when suddenly 3 DRDs came into the room and started cleaning everywhere. "WHAT THE HELL!?" Kate stood up and did her best to stay away from the three of them. "RICK!?"

"It's alright Kate, they're just the DRDs. Diagnostic Repair Drone or DRD for short. They clean the house, repair the A/C unit, water heaters, light bulbs. Basically they do the maintenance on the house and keep it clean. All of their tools are inside their bodies; they also act as the house security if needed since they each have a plasma torch built-in. I'm not really sure myself how they get around but they can…" Kate interrupted him. "Climb walls!?"

She watched one of them start up the wall followed by another. "How, how…?" she stammered. "How can they do that or clean without showing any tools?" Rick asked, watching Kate follow each of them as she snapped her head from one to another, not trusting any of them.

"Are they going to clean me?" She meant kill not clean like take a shower. He chuckled. "No they're not going to "clean" you. They are under control of B5 mostly. B5 decides what room needs to be cleaned and she sends some DRDs to do the cleaning. There are likely one or two in my bathroom at this very moment, if not one or two in yours. There's probably one cleaning Alexis's litter boxes, too." He smiled as he watched Kate keep her eyes on them. She even got up on the dining room table as a DRD went under her feet. "They clean the pool as well," he mentioned.

Alexis had finished eating and was watching the DRDs. Like Kate, she didn't really trust them either. "MEOW!" _POOL!_ Alexis jumped off the countertop just missing a DRD and bounded out of the kitchen.

Kate stared at Rick. "I thought Alexis hated to get wet?"

"As a cat yes, as a Bengal tiger, not so much. And when did you learn to hear Alexis?" He was still shocked about that. "It was while you were in that the medical bed when you were hurt. It was actually her idea. I'm not sure how she did it or how it works. Rick, while I was down on the floor looking in her eyes, I thought I saw something. It was horrible. There was a little girl in a hospital bed hooked up to machines. She was sleeping, I think, but she was so little and thin. She had blemishes all over her discolored body. For a moment I thought her eyes were open, but they didn't blink. Was that…I mean was that?" She didn't know how to ask or if she even should.

"Alexis? You saw that too!?" Rick was shocked. He was sure his little girl was essentially a mental vegetable by that time. Was it something the aliens did when they downloaded her into her collar?

"Yes, that was Alexis. When they handed me that little girl after Meredith gave birth to her, I was in love. All she did was cry at me at first. Later she would smile and try and make her arms and legs wiggle."

"The second she was diagnosed Meredith filed for divorce. She took half of everything I had and never looked back. Then I watched my perfect little baby get worse and worse each month. For a long time I was in denial and I went through a lot of doctors till I had enough of them tell me the same thing. My baby was sick and she was only going to get sicker since they barely understood the disease, let alone what to do about it."

"Finally I had to have her admitted into a hospital. I just couldn't care for her anymore on my own. They did their best to keep her comfortable. Alexis stopped talking, not saying anything at all. All I could see was what was in her eyes. Her body was in pain but I never saw it in her eyes." Rick blinked back tears. To him it was history, though it still made his heart ache.

"And now she's a cat. How is Alexis taking being a cat? How are you coping with her being a cat?"

"Me? I have my baby girl back who can talk to me. Who I can live my life with. Those 8 years of training were hell, but it really was worth it. As for what Alexis thinks… Ask her, you seem to understand her."

"Not all the time. There are still times when I don't understand her."

Kate walked around the island and wrapped her arms around Rick. She stood up on tippy toes and gave Rick a quick kiss. "Thanks for the date and for talking to me. I think I understand now. I'm going to go see Alexis. See you in the pool?" She lifted up on tippy toes again and gave Rick another quick kiss.

"I'm know you're a good man Rick and obviously a good father." She felt Rick's arms tighten around her for the first time. So she lifted up and gave him a quick kiss once more before retreating to her room to put on a bra and panties since she didn't have a swim suit.

Skinny dipping was out for now.


	14. Chapter 14

**CH14**

Kate didn't have anything to wear but she had her Christmas present and she had Madison's phone number. "Hi Maddie. We're going clothes shopping today if you still want to come," Kate asked since her courage was leaving her fast and she needed someone to push her.

"I'll meet you at our bench. Is half an hour enough time?"

"We'll be there. We'll be in a taxi since Rick's car only holds two people."

"Really, no back seat for you two to have some fun in?" Madison teased. "MADDIE!?" She was beginning to second guess having Madison come along.

"Fine, fine. Thirty minutes. I'll meet you there." Madison hung up on her and began shouting out orders to the people in her restaurant. Opening day was in two days. Two of her tables arrived with scratches and were returned along with 4 broken chairs. She was waiting on replacements. For a restaurant every table meant money. The cooking staff was getting used to everyone, while her bartender was practicing along with the servers on how to make drinks on a consistent basis and not waste any alcohol. There were people there cleaning everything. There was even landscaping still going on.

"I'll be back in 4 hours, only call me if the place catches fire," Madison told her assistant. She was kidding since she had better be calling the fire department and not her.

Maddie was at "their" bench waiting. The taxi pulled up and the door opened. Rick and Kate slid over, making room for her. "Hi Becks. This is going to be so much fun. We have so got to get you something to wear. You must be Rick?" Madison held out her hand to Rick.

"You told me he was handsome Becks, you didn't tell me he was a hunk." Madison wasn't bashful. "MADDIE!?" Kate held a hand over Madison's mouth while Rick just smiled. Madison ignored her and reached across Kate to pet Alexis. "Hi Alexis, I see you get to come too."

"Meow." _I had to threaten to bite Rick first._

"What did she say?" Madison looked at Kate who simply shrugged her shoulders.

They stopped at Rick's sizing specialist first to find out what sizes Kate needed. Armed with that information they stopped at Madison's first suggestion.

"Here try this." Madison took it off the rack and handed it to Kate. Rick was right behind her holding Alexis.

 _ **Divine Spaghetti A-line Evening Dress**_ _Beaded Bodice and High Slit in Pink Chiffon_

"And this." Madison handed a dress to Kate.

 **Tall Rose Print Maxi Dress**

"Oh, and this. Every woman should have a little black dress."

 _ **BLACK SEXY HIGH SLIT SLEEVELESS ONE SHOULDER LONG ROMAN TOGA MAXI DRESS**_ _This sexy dress features a long length maxi dress, high slits going up both sides, one shoulder Roman toga dress, measuring at 41 inches from waist to bottom of dress._

Kate liked the first two if she had a reason to wear them; they just weren't what she was looking for as an everyday dress.

"Maddie, I can't even wear panties with this black dress. Those two slits come all the way up to my hips." Kate handed the black dress back to her. She shoved it back into Kate's hands. "You can wear it with a thong and you have the legs for it Becks."

"A what? And where would I want to wear this to?" She wasn't sold. "You can wear it to one of Rick's book launch parties or you can wear it to my restaurant opening in two days. You might even get offers for a modeling career." Madison wasn't taking the dress back. "But since you don't like that dress for my restaurant opening let's try something else." She moved to another section.

"Here. Try this one instead." Madison handed her another little black dress.

 _ **Strapless Feather-Skirt Cocktail Dress**_ _Strapless, pleated neckline. Fitted bodice. Banded waist with bow back._

"Ooo, take this one with you too." Madison handed over another one.

 _ **La Petite Robe di Chiara Boni Asymmetric-Sleeve Ruched Column Gown**_ _Evening gown in jersey with raw edges. Bateau neckline; asymmetric cap sleeves. Ruched waist. Column silhouette. Formfitting. Nylon/spandex._

"You wanted something more everyday. …Try this." Madison pulled down something else.

 _ **Flowy Alex Jumpsuit**_ _Eye-catching paisley printed strapless jumpsuit featuring palazzo styled pant._

"And this." Madison handed over another one and shooed Kate off to the changing room again. They were going to have to change stores after she was finished trying on clothes.

 _ **Nita Belle Womens 3pc Pant/Jacket Set in all white.**_

Kate kept the Pink Chiffon evening dress, the strapless feather-skirt cocktail dress, and the Flowy Alex Jumpsuit.

They were off to the next place that was a number of blocks away.

"OH YEAH, I love this store already," Madison announced. "Maddie, we can't begin to afford anything here," Kate whispered, since everything looked ungodly expensive. It didn't stop Madison as she dove into the store.

"Here go try this one on." Madison handed Kate her first choice in this store.

 _ **Nude Long Rhinestone Beaded Sheer Top Scoop Neck Evening Gown**_

"Maddie!" Kate called from the dressing room and got Madison inside with her. "I can't wear this. The top is see through." She looked at herself in the mirror wearing the ill-fitting bra that she had. "It looks great on you. You just need a different bra. A white or beige colored seamless one preferably." Madison thought it was perfect.

"I need something more casual Maddie, not something more fancy," she moaned, even if she did appreciate all of her help.

"Kate, your boyfriend is a popular writer. You need to look good when you go out with him." Madison saw the look on her face. "Okay, okay. Just one more and then we can go to Macy's or something. Even Macy's has shoes," Madison relented. "SHOES!?" Kate groaned. "I don't know how to walk in heels!"

"Practice Becks, lots and lots of practice. Don't worry, we'll stay away from stilettos for now. We'll find something with more blocky looking heels, they're easier on you till you get used to them."

Madison left to go find one more dress. "You're keeping that one. We'll stop at Victoria's Secret before or after Macy's," she called over her shoulder.

 _ **Ever Pretty Strapless Sequined Fashion Women Evening Dresses Long Formal 09958**_ _Strapless long evening enough for "no bra" option. Shimmery bust design enhances the charm of this dress. Unique flowing grey and black ribbons decorate the bottom area. Concealed side zipper. Lining, no stretch._

They left with just the one dress. Victoria's Secret was first only because it was closer than Macy's. Kate left here with 7 bras, 7 matching pairs of panties and 2 bikini swimsuits so she could use the pool downstairs.

"You okay over there Rick?" Kate thought he was losing his color. "I'm fine, just fine," he managed to get out.

"Meow. Meow." _Don't believe him. Dad had a heart attack when you came out wearing that_ _matching_ _bra and panty._

Kate giggled since she got all of that, plus the look on Rick's face was priceless. It also told her that his stone exterior was cracking. Maybe Alexis was right after all. She just had to bide her time.

"Actually I thought he was going to have a seizure, especially when you came out wearing that bikini and asked him what he thought." Madison got in on the dog pile. Kate began giggling as Rick started to change colors.

"Meow." _I'm still keeping you Kate._ "Meow." _Dad will come around._ Rick looked down at Alexis who was still in his lap and thought, "Traitor!"

Kate had a pair of high heeled sandals along with a pair of high heeled boots and 2 pairs of flats. She was looking at a pair of tennis shoes when Madison's phone rang. She was too busy trying on her shoes to notice the look on Madison's face. "I have to go Kate. Something happened at the restaurant and I need to be there. Your casual clothing, as you call it, is up to you. Just remember Becks, you are a 20 year old grown up woman and not a 15 year old girl anymore. So please, no more t-shirts. Find something that shows off those long legs of yours. You don't know how many women out there who would kill to have your legs."

Madison hugged Kate goodbye and stopped at Rick who was trying his best to hide Alexis so he didn't get kicked out.

"You're the best Rick, I don't know too many men who would even think to do this let alone actually do it. Becks is a nice girl. Take her out on a date, show her there is something under all that armor you carry around," Madison pleaded with him. Alexis knew she had to be silent so she simply pawed Rick in the chest instead to show her support of Madison's wish.

Kate came home with 3 pairs of jeans, 4 tops, 3 different belts, and even had one tie. She also had a package of cotton panties and 3 more bras that weren't as fancy as the ones she had gotten at Victoria's Secret.

Next came a sitting at the cosmetic desk as one of the girls taught her how to apply a simple amount of make-up along with one small bottle of perfume that both Kate and Rick liked.

Rick had arranged for everything they bought at Macy's to be delivered since it was simply too much for them to carry.

She was running around finding someplace to put all her new things while Alexis sat on her bed watching. "Meow!" _Will you slow down, you're making my neck hurt._ "I'm sorry Alexis, it's just that I've never had clothes like this. At least not that I can remember." Her memory seemed to be getting better; spending time with Madison seemed to help.

Kate took a break and sat down next to Alexis who took that moment to step into her lap and into her arms. "Alexis, what's it like to be a cat? I know now that there is a little girl buried in there somewhere. It's just that it seems you gave up a lot to stay with Rick."

"Meow. Meow." _It's not that bad Kate. And I love_ _D_ _ad._

"But you're not going to be a little girl hidden in the form of a cat forever. Eventually you're going to be my age. No boyfriend, no marriage, no kids, no job, no friends.

"Meow." _I have you and dad._

"That's not much Alexis. It may be enough now, but what as Rick gets older? I know you are getting older, just not as fast."

"Meow." _Everyone dies Kate, even me._

Kate wasn't sure these two had thought this through completely. Alexis was alive, but was living her life as a cat a life when she knew there was a human growing up buried inside? Was that enough of a life?

Rick chose this moment to step into her room. "Done unpacking yet?" He walked over and picked up Alexis.

"Almost. Thank you Rick, you really didn't have to do any of this. You could have dropped me off at a hospital like the others." Kate was sure they had been injected with the same drugs to make them just as docile. They likely had a lot of memory loss too.

"I couldn't do that. You were the only one hooked up to an IV which made you special. When I found out what condition you were in, there was no hospital that could save you. You had to stay. I'll admit I hadn't thought it through to the point where you would learn so much, but I'm not sorry I did it. You deserved a chance at having a life."

"Meow!" _Kiss him Kate!_

Kate stood up and looked at a shocked Rick. She took Alexis out of his arms and placed her on the bed then stepped close to Rick. She reached up to pull his head down while she got up on tippy toes and kissed him like she had been wanting to do for days.

At first he was as stiff as a board. "Meow!" _Kiss her_ _D_ _ad, please._

Alexis's urging was enough to get Rick to relax and Kate found his arms around her as he kissed her back. She broke from the kiss. "We need more practice Rick, I'm sure we could do better." She smiled into his lips and then kissed him again, getting something more back this time.

Kate pulled away from the kiss and found herself still in Rick's arms. She looked up and smiled because of it. "I'm going to go swimming if anyone would care to join me." She patted Rick's chest.

"MEOW!" _The cat is first one in._ Alexis leapt off the bed, and bounded out of Kate's bedroom, and headed for the pool.

"I need to change, go put on your trunks Rick. You can join us." She went to her dresser to get one of her two bikinis that she had just gotten.

It turned out Rick was faster at changing than Kate. However, Kate was quicker as she passed him running down the stairs giggling. Rick watched her ass dance in front of him the entire way.

Kate found Alexis in her tiger form, whacking her big blue ball around while paddling madly. She stopped in her tracks and just watched the big cat. Finally she noticed that Rick was standing next to her. "I thought she hated the water?"

"In her true form as an orange and white tabby cat, yes, very much. As a Bengal tiger, she likes it as a way to cool off when she gets over heated. She spent most of the time you were in the medical bed as a tiger."

Kate looked up as Rick as her eyes passed over his rippled abs, his broad chest, mouth, and finally made it to his eyes. "I knew I saw something, it just didn't make sense. But then I don't remember a lot of things."

The next thing she knew she was crushed up against Rick's chest, her hands pinned between them on his chest. "That isn't your fault Kate. None of this is your fault. We each take the cards we're dealt and do what we can with them. What you do next is up to you. And Alexis took it upon herself to make sure you were safe while in that bed, not that it was necessary."

"Life never gives us something we can't handle," Kate whispered. "That's nice, where did you learn that?" Rick asked. "My mother said it, it was one of her favorite sayings," she answered softly.

"See - your memory is getting better. What did your friend tell you about your parents?" Kate looked back up at him. "How did… Maddie told me that my parents are broken. Mom even quit her job and is working part time for some big law company. She hated the very idea. She wanted to be a champion for the little guy so they didn't get stepped on by the big guys who had money to buy the best."

"Your mother is a lawyer?" Kate nodded and turned her gaze back to Rick's chest. "They both are. They actually met in a law office where they both worked." She chuckled. "It took my dad months to work up the courage to ask her out on a date. Dad was so chicken." Kate was still chuckling.

"And your parents' names are?" Rick tried since she was on a roll.

She opened and closed her mouth til she snapped it shut and shook her head. "You're remembering more and more. It'll come to you. When do you plan on calling them?"

"Sometime after our dinner at Madison's new restaurant. I'm going to ask her for their phone number and address. Just exactly when, I'm not sure. I don't want to show up at their front door and say, 'Hi, I don't know who you are but I think I'm your long lost daughter.'" She wanted some amount of memory and control.

"Maybe meeting them will give you back some of those memories. Seeing and talking with your friend seems to have helped some already." Kate wasn't convinced, still she knew it needed to happen.

Alexis meanwhile spotted them holding onto each other. She had stopped playing and was lounging on the steps with her head turned around to watch them.

Rick had also noticed that Alexis was done with the pool. "Time to get in the pool," he announced and scooped Kate up in his arms easily, causing her to squeal as he walked down the side to the deep end.

"Rick you better not. **RICK** **,** **YOU BETTER NOT DARE**!" Kate yelled at him. He just grinned and tossed her into the pool.

" **RICK!"**


	15. Chapter 15

**CH15**

Kate was sitting at her desk in her bedroom dressed in only a thong while trying to put her make-up on like the cosmetic technician had shown her. She was sure she was screwing it up. She had little to no applicable practice, still she hoped she wasn't doing too bad. She put all the make-up away and looked at herself. She had even used a curling iron to create curls, something she almost never did, at least that she could remember. She thought she had gotten enough right then picked the new dress up off the bed where she had laid it out earlier before stepping into the shower.

Kate slid into her dress and zipped it up and worked at adjusting her breasts till they were where she wanted them.

 _ **Ever Pretty Strapless Sequined Fashion Women Evening Dresses Long Formal 09958**_

She selected this dress because she wasn't sure she wanted to risk trying to walk in heels. Stumbling all over the place wasn't the kind of first impression she wanted to make, hence the flats that were at the end of her bed.

Kate met Rick in the living room near the stairs that would take them down to the entry and the garage since he insisted on driving to Q3.

She stood in front of the mirror waiting. "Meow!" _You're gorgeous Kate._

"I second that statement, you look stunning." Rick came down the stairs to stand in front of Kate. She was sure she was blushing from her neck up since it almost felt like her face was on fire. She looked at Rick who was dressed in a dark tux. "You clean up nicely Rick, very handsome." She ran her fingers over the edge of his jacket. "I'm going to have to fight to keep the women off of you, aren't I?" She didn't want to share him with anyone. "Not necessary, certainly not tonight. You're going to outshine every woman that will be there. Shall we go?" He held out his arm and watched as she took it.

"Invitations?" she asked and watched him partly show them from inside an inner pocket. This dinner was by invitation only.

It was a simple enough drive. He handed over his car to the valet who parked it. Rick escorted her past all of the cameras as reporters yelled questions at him. "Ignore them, let them guess all they want," he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"WHAT"S WITH THE CAT?" one of them yelled, which got both of them to stop and stare at him. It didn't stop him from asking his question again. "Body guard, she has a taste for reporters who don't know their place," he explained. Alexis was only too willing to arch her back. Her fur stood on end and she hissed at him.

They continued to the front door where Rick produced their passes. "Right this way." They were escorted to the bar. "Order any drink you would like. Your table will be ready momentarily." Madison was notified that her personal guests for the kitchen table had arrived.

Rick leaned down. "Have you drunk anything with alcohol in it?" he asked quietly. "I've had a couple of beers before, but no, nothing like this," Kate whispered.

"I'll have a Ritz-Paris Sidecar and the lady will have a Family-friendly Sangria," Rick told the female bartender. He watched as she didn't bat an eye and got to work.

"What am I drinking Rick?" Kate had never heard of either drink. "Yours is a non-alcoholic drink with passion fruit juice, ginger ale, fresh kiwi, a slice of orange, a slice of star fruit, a slice of lime, and a few fresh cranberries," he explained.

Sure enough a few minutes later two drinks showed up, one of which that had a slice of star fruit that was hanging on the edge of her glass. Rick's drink intrigued her too. "Sidecar?" Kate tried to remember. It looked like a martini since that was the kind of glass it was in. It had salt all around the rim, a slice of orange hanging on the side of the glass, and the drink was orange in color.

Rick put Alexis down on the stool in front of them, took the drinks, and handed Kate hers. "The Ritz-Paris Sidecar was developed at the Ritz-Carlton in Paris. It's made from 1865 Cognac, Cointrau which is an orange flavored liqueur produced only in France, and a little fresh lemon juice. Want a sip? Just a sip I don't want to get you drunk," he offered and held out the glass for her to lean over and take a sip. Kate licked her lips. "That's nice Rick. Is that the Cognac I taste?" She could easily taste the orange with a hint of lemon. "$7 thousand dollars a bottle Cognac," he corrected her. "Seriously!?" Her eyes widened in amazement. She decided she would stick with her Sangria as she pulled a cranberry out and ate it.

"BECKS, RICK!" Madison walked over. "I'm glad you could make it. And you brought Alexis with you, excellent!" She gave Alexis a quick pet. "I have a chair just for you too, along with a treat." Madison was smiling broadly.

"Meow." _I like your friend Kate._

"What did she say? …Never mind. Come on, I have a couple of people for you to meet." Madison picked up Alexis. "Follow me." She took them out into the dining room area and down to the far end of the bar.

"May I introduce you two? This is our esteemed Mayor Robert Wheldon, his wife Cynthia, and our recently elected Junior Senator William Bracken. Bob, Cynthia, and Bill, this is Kate Beckett and her boyfriend Richard Castle, a famous mystery writer who lives here in New York City." Kate was all set to correct Madison about Rick being her boyfriend but decided now was not the time. She just went with it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Rick shook each of their hands.

"Perhaps I can get a book signed?" Cynthia asked. "I'm sure that can be arranged," Rick agreed.

"Right this way you two." Madison took them through a door and into the kitchen that was already a mad house even though no one had ordered anything yet.

There was a small table only big enough to seat four and it was just inside the door into the kitchen. Madison set Alexis down on her stool. "Please sit. I'll be right with you I just need to check on my chef." She walked deeper into the kitchen.

Rick and Kate took seats opposite each other and waited. Madison returned in a minute. "Be right back." She went out into the dining room to get people seated who had showed up early and began dinner preparations.

Madison soon returned. "Sorry. I just wanted to get everyone started. We're going to have a 14-course meal beginning with our first course, Aerated balsam fir–flavored sorbet." She signaled for it to be served.

The Park - Aerated balsam fir–flavored sorbet that's been chilled with liquid nitrogen.

The Picnic - A personal portion of brioche topped with a mixture of seeds à la everything bagel, plus some tangy cultured butter to dredge it through.

The Field - Homemade cracker topped with oats, seeds, coconut flakes, and black Moroccan olives for briny complexity.

Farm and Garden - A salad of fresh microgreens served with a savory raw-milk ice cream.

The Bay - Cucumber Risotto—really just minced cucumber with a little xanthan gum—and layered on caviar, Watercress Purée, and buttermilk, along with fresh borage.

Water and Oil - Watercress, Sweet Scallop, Plum, Red Peanut, Palm seeds, pickled onions, argan oil, and fresh lime juice.

Fall Farmer - Bacon consommé, tomato consommé, and kale juice, but take a sip and you'll think you're drinking a BLT sandwich!

Chicken and Dumplings - Tender dumplings, deeply delicious broth spiked with wasabi, and bonito flakes.

Northwest pozole – Dried corn kernels common to many Native American diets—includes geoduck, lime juice, juiced greens, and pickled garlic.

Boeuf Bourguignon - Cooked beef chuck drizzled with rich demi-glace and plated alongside a medley of baby root vegetables.

Henna Egg - An ornately-decorated egg shell layered with cooked egg yolks, orange tamarind syrup, and fried egg white foam.

Matcha Rice Pudding - A subtly sweet porridge made from black rice, topped with mangoes, Coconut Cream Fluid Gel, Matcha Green Foam, and fresh mint.

Black Forest Glen - An elegant slice of flourless chocolate "cake," a ganache "cherry," homemade cherry sorbet, and a cookie crumble borrowed from Momofuku Milk Bar.

Gasrden Tea - Verbena. Borage. Blossoms. plus mint, honey, and carrot tops.

Alexis was served tiny portions of 11 different cuts of 11 different fish.

Butterfly Fillet – Mullet.

Cheeks – Cod.

Cutlets – Halibut.

Darnes – Tuna.

Dressed – Catfish.

Fillet – Sword Fish.

Goujons – Hake.

Loins – Haddock.

Paves – Brill.

Steak – Salmon.

Tail – Sea bass.

Madison had to come and go frequently and apologized each and every time. "That was simply amazing Maddie. I've never had food like that or even tasted anything like that." Kate was still searching her mouth for a little taste that might be left over.

"Kate's right, that was simply amazing. You are going to be very popular if you keep serving food like that." Rick would call her and ask to bring Kate back here in the future.

Then it hit Rick what he had just thought about.

"Thanks. …I still have to find out what everyone out there thought. Hopefully it will be just as good. And what about you Alexis?" Madison inquired looking at her.

"Meow. Meow?" _I love you. Can I live here?_

Kate and Rick chuckled. "What did she say?" Madison asked. "Alexis loved it," Kate explained, as they watched Alexis lick her lips similarly to what Kate had just been doing.

The dining room was full with people still waiting. Madison was planning on keeping the restaurant open for as long as it took to seat everyone on her list and the guests that they brought.

She stopped Kate at the door as they watched Rick leave to get the car. "Here." Madison slipped a piece of paper in Kate's hands. "You don't know how many times I've picked up the phone to call your parents to tell them that I've seen you and know that you're alive. I even let it ring once before hanging up. They're hurting Becks, really hurting. Five years has been a long time to hold on, hoping that you're still alive. These are their phone numbers and addresses for home and where they both work. Please don't leave them hanging onto hope for much longer."

"There comes a time when everyone meets their limit and gives up hope. I've watched your mother cry so many times. Take Rick with you, take Alexis with you, take me with you. You don't have to do this alone. So you don't remember them; they remember you. Maybe you're scared, they're scared, too." Madison did what she could to kick Kate into doing something.

"Thanks Maddie, I'll think of something." Kate knew it had to happen, just not when or how.

"Try not to be a stranger Becks. Call me or come by for a meal anytime. I'll always have a table for you. And kiss him Becks. You're 20 years old, you're going to need to grow up fast." Maddie hugged Kate and watched her go out the door and get in Rick's car, waving bye at each other.

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxXXxxX

"What did your friend have to say?" Rick had noticed that Kate had been stopped by Madison.

Kate petted Alexis who was sitting in her lap while Rick drove. "She gave me phone numbers and addresses for my parents. Both home and work."

"And?" Rick knew she was scared.

"I can't even picture their faces. I didn't even ask her their names." It suddenly hit Kate that it hadn't even occurred to her to ask.

"B5 can solve that problem with that much information. When do you want to do this?" He thought the sooner the better.

"I wish I knew. How do you tell your parents that you don't remember them? What about your parents? Where are they?" She changed the subject.

"Mother is in Phoenix now. If her show is successful enough they may add still more cities. I've never met my dad. Mother says they loved a lifetime in that one night. She never saw him again."

"I'm sorry Rick. It must have been difficult growing up without a father." She couldn't remember hers but at least she knew she had one and what he did.

"Can't miss what you never had."

"So you have no idea who he is? Not even these aliens who selected you told you? How about B5?" He chuckled. "Let's see, no, no, and no. If the people who trained me and changed me knew who he was, they didn't say. Though to be honest, I was more concerned about Alexis than who my father was. As for B5, even she needs something to work with. B5 may have my DNA but she needs his DNA to be in someone's system that she can access to do a comparison. So far, nothing." He didn't hold out hope. He had done without this long, he could do without forever.

"And your mother isn't any help? She obviously knew something," Kate questioned, only to see Rick shake his head.

"These aliens, as wild as this sounds, and I can't even begin to believe I'm thinking this...but is it possible that your father was one of these aliens?" Kate tried, only to watch Rick to start laughing hard enough that she was worried they were going to wreck.

"All the aliens, save for one, didn't even remotely look anything like human, though I found out later that, that one instance was a front for my benefit. They had learned how to adjust their cells to make them look like something else. Their real form was far different. Based on what I saw, I'm not sure how they breathed. Their planet is all water as far as I know. There is probably land somewhere but I never saw it."

"'My' aliens as you call them, are creatures of water. Think more octopus with multiple tentacles and you would at least be close. My first guess is that they like our planet because of the vast oceans our planet has. I got the feeling that they found our lifeform interesting."

"You've mentioned training, but you also said they did something to you."

"Let's wait until we get home," he suggested. Kate sat there petting Alexis and remained silent for the rest of the trip.

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Kate caught up to Rick who was in the kitchen making coffee. "Okay Rick, give. What did they do to you and don't leave anything out. ALEXIS, I expect you to correct Rick if he gets anything wrong." She looked at Alexis who was sitting on the island countertop.

"Meow." _Deal._

"Hey, that's not fair. Alexis is supposed to be on my side," Rick groaned.

"We girls have to stick together and that leaves you out. Thankfully." She added the last quietly.

"Fine, but I'm giving up your secret too, young lady." He pointed his finger at Alexis who sat there and swished her tail back and forth as Rick scowled at her.

"They selected us for reasons of their own. They couldn't save Alexis from dying, so they downloaded her mind into her collar that she is wearing. While they were working on her, they went to work on me."

"First they made every organ, muscle, artery, and vein perfect. Most humans only use a fraction of their mind; they changed mine so that I use a percentage more than normal. Then they cut my arms off just short of my shoulder." Kate's eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open. "Say that again?" She was sure she heard wrong.

"Just about here." He drew a line with his finger on his opposite arm. "The new ones are artificial and require power to function. I connect them to a power core at least once a month, more if I use them too much. They're just like my old ones. They look and feel the same. I can feel everything just like a normal man. Heat, cold, roughness of items, or the smoothness of a baby's bottom. They'll even tan if I'm outside long enough."

"The computer system is in each arm and is connected to me. Each finger is artificial and I can select an option stored in each arm to do things with any finger of my choice. Cut wires, mend the cut wires, countless things. A lot of what I use them for is to contact B5 and have her download a program into a computer simply by touching a keyboard. I also use it to stun guards and get them to sleep without having to kill them, though I can kill and leave virtually nothing behind."

"You cut yourself down when you were captured didn't you?" Rick nodded. "There were too many of them. I couldn't render them unconscious without at least one of them noticing something. I couldn't teleport out without being seen. I knew I was being recorded and watched while being interrogated."

"You mean tortured. I saw your back Rick, it made me sick seeing that." She still can't get the image out of her mind.

"I'm sorry I haven't thanked you for what you did. That took courage." Rick finally thanked Kate for saving his life.

"Actually it was exciting, scary but exciting. It was like living like a superhero or something." She started smiling and then stood up and walked around to Rick. She took one of his arms in her hands. "So you can feel this?" She softly rubbed her hands up and down his arm and watched him nod. "OW!" Rick jerked his arm away after Kate pinched him. She took his hand back and placed his palm against the side of her face. "You can feel this, too?" Kate took his hand and kissed his open palm. "And that?"

"Meow." _Kiss her dad._

Unfortunately Alexis broke the moment and Rick's armor came back up. "Your turn young lady." She sat down on the countertop wishing she had kept her mouth shut. Her dad had almost kissed Kate.

"Alexis isn't just a cat. Have you not wondered how she can change between cat, tiger, and girl?" Kate hadn't really thought about it. Still that was a good question.

Rick leaned down, brushed his cheek against Alexis's face, and petted her. "Alexis is an artificial biological construct. Her collar is who she really is. It allows her control over who and what she is. Do you remember the collar that was still on her when she was a little girl?" He turned his head to look at Kate. She thought back since she didn't remember seeing it or even looking for it and came up empty. Kate guessed that she must have been too shocked by the transformation to notice that she was still wearing it around her neck.

Just did she not notice for the entire hour she was a little girl? Still the collar would have been hidden under the sweater she had selected.

"If Alexis gets cut she'll bleed fluid and not blood. If she gets hurt only B5 can fix her. A vet wouldn't know what to do with her. I spent 8 years learning how to use my arms and Alexis spent 8 years learning how to use her collar." He turned his head back to look at Alexis and kissed the top of her head.

"So it was good that I put Alexis on the medical bed," Kate commented offhandedly.

Rick's head whipped around and looked at Kate.

"Meow." _Please don't be mad._

She spent the next few minutes telling him about when Gina showed up at the front door. How Alexis attacked her as a tiger, and when Gina came back later with the police. That Gina had kicked Alexis across the foyer, her little body hitting the door on the far side. How Kate had picked her up to put her on the medical bed but had to threaten B5 before the bed slid out of the wall.

Rick was quiet until Kate finished her story. **"I'LL KILL HER SO HELP ME GOD!"**


	16. Chapter 16

**CH16**

This chapter may contain material that does not adhere strictly to the rules for the rating of this story. For this reason.

Reader discretion is advised.

XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXx

Rick stood up straight and pressed the gem embedded in his palm. He disappeared in a whirl of clouds. "RICK NO! Rick come back here!" Kate yelled at the empty space where Rick had been standing.

She turned her wrath on B5. "Why didn't you stop him?" She thought she remembered that the gem was only an actuator, that it was B5 that did the work. "Richard Castle is a Class One Supervisor," B5 stated as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

Rick arrived on the roof that housed Black Pawn and used his finger to open the roof access. He made his way down to Black Pawn's office suite. He barged in through the front door and strode up to the receptionist. "Mr. Castle, how can I…" Rick interrupted her. "Is Gina in?" he growled. "She's in her office. I'll tell her you're here," she said as she started to pick up the phone to announce him.

He pushed her hand down, hanging up the phone. "GOOD, now get out." He looked menacingly at her only to see her frozen in her chair. "I SAID GET OUT!" Rick took hold of her arm and lifted her up out of her chair. "Get out and forget I was ever here." He escorted her out the door and watched as she hurried away.

He strode angrily to Gina's office and kicked the door open catching Gina by surprise as she worked on the pile of paperwork on her desk. "Richard…" She never got to say another word as Rick crossed to her in an instant. He wrapped his hand around her throat and lifted her up out of her chair then slammed her up against the wall.

"I just found out that you came to my house after I warned you what would happen if you did. And then you kicked Alexis and hurt her. What I should do is kill you right here and now. The only problem is that I haven't thought up a good way to kill you where I can get away with it. You just became public enemy number one Gina." He squeezed her neck tighter choking off her air supply as she slapped at his arms.

"I'm not going to kill you, but I am going to make you pay. You are going to pay a very, very high price for what you have done." Rick released her and let her start coughing to try and get air in. Then he grabbed her and launched her across her desk up against the far wall where she landed with a thud, still coughing.

"I will get even for this Gina. Your life as you know it just ended." He didn't wait for a reply. He stepped out of her office, pressed the gem embedded in his hand, and disappeared in a whirl of clouds. He teleported to the exercise room down in the basement and started taking out his anger on the equipment. He was beyond furious with Gina.

"He wouldn't, would he?" Kate looked at Alexis. Alexis, however, remained silent. She knew Rick or at least she hoped she did, but would he?

Kate sat down at the counter and tried to think of what to do. She waited and then turned to face the wall. "B5 can you trace where Rick is? You did it when you sent me to China."

"Yes," B5 simply responded.

"You stupid piece of… " Didn't this super computer know what was at stake? "Where is he?"

"In the basement," B5 responded.

"Thank god! …Alexis no!" Kate saw Alexis start to get up and jump down. "Please let me, Alexis. Do you trust me? I promise not to hurt him…much." She was positively irate.

"Meow?" _You promise you won't hurt him?_

"I promise, just stay here." Kate got up and jogged down to the basement. But what she found there wasn't what she was expecting. Rick was sitting on the floor crying. His body was shaking from the sobs emanating from deep in his body. He had his head buried between his legs as he held them close to his chest. Kate got down on the floor and worked at trying to unbury his head from his arms and legs. "Rick? …Rick, please tell me you didn't."

"He lifted his head and looked at her. What Kate saw hurt her heart. He looked like a little boy who had just lost everything. He was totally vulnerable right now. "Rick what did you do?"

"I…she…I can't lose Alexis, I just can't. There's no one else, has been no one else for so long." His armor was lying broken on the floor. Before Kate could stop herself, she kissed him. She soon found Rick returning her kisses with passion. She kept kissing him until she needed air, however he only started kissing her again as she soon as she drew a breath.

When they finally broke from that kiss, Rick eased Kate down til she was lying on her back on the exercise mat on the floor. He began kissing her again. Only this time he switched from kissing her lips to kissing her neck and sucking on her pulse point. Kate tilted her head to allow him access. When she felt one of his hands slide up from her leg, across her stomach and end up cupping her breast, she moaned a little. He went back to kissing her lips.

Kate felt the palm of his hand under her top working its way up her chest as he cupped her breast under her bra. She started pulling his shirt up out of his pants so that she could get her hands on his skin. She had been thinking about that for days, and had already decided that she wanted to give Rick her renewed virginity. She wanted him to be her first, physically and mentally. Except he was slowing down and withdrew his hand from her breast. She arched her back to try and regain the contact that was lost. Then he stopped kissing her and started to sit up.

"Did I do something wrong?" She knew she was a virgin and didn't have any experience. She wasn't even sure if she was kissing him the way he liked. "No, god no, Kate. You're a beautiful woman who is incredibly sexy. But I'm not going to take advantage of you just because I'm hurting," he told her and ended up with his back up against the wall.

She got up on her knees and took his face in her hands. "You're not taking advantage of me Rick, I swear. I want this, I want you to be my first. B5 said she fixed all of me. I want you to be my first. …Or do you not want me because I was a sex slave?" She was ready to run and cry if that was the case.

"God no, Kate. I don't care how many men you have or haven't had sex with. That isn't the point." He took her hands in his and kissed them. "Then what Rick, help me to understand. Don't you want me? I know my breasts aren't that big and there are…" She was forced to stop talking when he kissed her. Kate kissed him back hoping he would want her again.

He pulled away from her lips and looked her in the eyes. "I don't care if you are totally flat chested. Your breast size has nothing to do with it. And to be honest I'm not interested in women with big breasts. I much prefer a woman who is just your size. Kate, I… you may not remember ever having sex and considering things, that is a blessing that I'm happy about for you. I couldn't begin to think about how to help you if you remembered every time you were raped. It's a pain I fear I couldn't help you with."

"It's all on me and not you. The last time I was with a woman was with Meredith long before Alexis was even born. There was no one after Alexis, not an alien obviously, or since we got back here."

"You haven't even talked with your parents yet, and if we're going to do this, we're not doing it in the exercise room on the floor. You talk to your parents and if you still feel the same way, we'll talk about making love." Kate started smiling. "Does that mean you love me?" She heard his words; he didn't say 'have sex' or 'fuck her.' He said make love to her.

Now it was Rick who had his eyes open wide as he replayed what he had said. "Not yet." He really didn't know how to answer that question. His reply was enough to make her smile though. She leaned in to kiss him soundly again as she felt Rick kiss her back. He got up on his knees; soon they were both on their knees with their arms wrapped around each other, kissing.

Kate ran her hands up under his shirt and skimmed her hands up the bare skin of his back as Rick switched from kissing her to sucking on her neck. She pushed up the front of his shirt so her fingers could work on his nipples that hardened beneath her touch. She felt him lifting up her shirt. His hands were on her back and made their way to her bra hooks. She willed him to undo her bra and release her breasts. Instead he withdrew his hands and stopped kissing her.

She didn't want him to stop. Even if they didn't go all the way they could still have some fun. "Parents first," Rick whispered into her lips before he kissed her. He pulled away from her lips and started to get up when suddenly Alexis leapt into his arms.

"Meow?" _You like Kate, don't you_ _D_ _ad?_

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you two." He was sure he was being double teamed.

"Meow." _You can love us_ _D_ _ad._

Kate began to blush as what she had almost done and the deal they had made finally sank in. Rick was going to be her first, she was sure of it now.

"I'm going to go take a shower. I need to wash Gina off of me." He started to stand only to have Kate stop him. "What did you do Rick?" She was worried he was in trouble.

"I threatened to make her very sorry for kicking Alexis. I'm going to make her very, very unhappy. No one kicks Alexis around and gets away with it. She's going to pay for what she did, period." He got up and went upstairs. He stripped in his bathroom and stepped into the shower, happy to use the water to wash away his anger over Gina.

He was standing under the water with his eyes closed, trying to relax and feel better. His eyes flew open at the touch of a hand. A naked Kate was in his shower with him. She handed him the shampoo bottle. "Wash my hair for me?" She stepped in close, chest to chest.

"We have a deal Kate," he reminded her. "That deal involves us making love to each other and me giving you my virginity. We're not going to be making love to each other here in your shower. But your deal didn't say anything about taking a shower with each other. Now wash me Rick, and don't keep your hands to yourself." She placed her hands on his chest and raised up on tippy toes to kiss him.

Kate soon found herself pressed up against the shower wall. Rick kissed her and nibbled on her neck while his hands massaged her bare breasts. He kissed his way down to her breasts and licked and suckled her nipples. She held his head in place and arched her back to push her breasts up into his mouth. He kissed his way back up to her lips and stroked his tongue along her lower lip asking permission to enter.

He remembered that Kate wasn't experienced so he gently pressed his tongue into her mouth and started a dual with her tongue to get her to search his mouth like he was searching hers. He could feel her nails raking his shoulders down his back. He pressed his erection up against her as she simply kissed him.

He knew he was going to have to teach her so he took her hand and pushed it down his chest. He wrapped her hand around his erection and using both their hands, slowly stroked his phallus til he took his hand away as she continued without his help. Rick went back to kissing Kate, palming her breasts while she stroked his erection. It had been such long time since he had been with a woman. Kate was gorgeous and incredibly sexy, so as she continued to stroke his erection and play with the head, Rick climaxed for the first time in ages.

She heard him cry out and felt him come on her fingers. She felt proud that she could cause that kind of reaction in him. She was also curious so she lifted up her come covered hand and tasted it. It wasn't what she was expecting, but it wasn't bad either. She decided that if they were going to become lovers she was going to need to get used to his taste. She licked her fingers clean and willed herself to like the taste of it.

While Kate was licking her fingers clean Rick placed his fingers into the folds of her core and started stroking her, causing her to cry out in pleasure. "OH MY GOD!" She sucked in a large breath of shock and pleasure when he inserted a single finger in her then withdrew it to rub circles around her clitoris. Then he pressed it back in as deep as it would go into her. "OH GOD RICK!" He kept it up, over and over again. He began flicking his finger against her clitoris til she cried out as she reached orgasm. She held onto him to keep from falling to the floor when her knees gave out.

When Kate calmed down and opened her eyes she saw Rick licking his fingers clean. She kissed him deeply and found out what she tasted like inside his mouth. What she wanted to do next was wrap her legs around him and have him inside her, but he pulled away and tenderly washed her hair and her body.

She finished washing Rick including giving special attention to his family jewels. After standing up and kissing him, she said, "We need to go see my parents, because I want you Rick. I want you to make a woman out of me. Take me from a 15 year old girl to a 20 year old woman."

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She went through 3 different outfits and in the end had settled on a pair of skinny jean, tennis shoes and a simple top. It was something casual that didn't scream that Rick was spending huge sums of money on her, even though in her mind he was.

He got lucky and found a place to park across the street, got out of the car, and worked on prying Kate out of the car with Alexis in her arms.

Kate was stood there holding onto Alexis as though she was a life line. They looked across the street and saw Madison who had agreed to come. They could both see her waving them over. Rick had to guide her across the street. "It'll be fine Becks, they're going to be so happy to just see you. To know that you're alive," Madison said. Kate wasn't so sure. It took both of them to get her through the front door and into the lobby, up the elevator and down the hall to her parents' door.

"Ready?" Madison asked and looked at Rick. He looked as handsome as ever and was holding a take-out bag of some sort. Then she looked at a very nervous Kate who was squeezing Alexis causing Alexis to squeak in protest. "Relax, they're not man eating aliens from outer space." That actually got Kate to smile and relax her death grip on Alexis. If Madison only knew...

Rick was right behind Madison though just a little off to one side, while Kate decided to hide up against the wall the door was on. Each of them was thinking different thoughts as Madison knocked on the door. Madison thought this was going to be a party. Rick was conflicted as to just what was going to happen or what he even wanted to have happen. Kate was sure this was going to be an epic disaster akin to the asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs.

It was Johanna who answered the door. "Madison!?" She was always happy to see Madison. To Johanna, Madison had become her surrogate daughter with Kate still missing.

Then Jo slapped a hand over her mouth. "Is that? You brought...? I didn't even know you knew him." Johanna had no trouble recognizing Richard Castle. "I brought a friend," Madison told her. "So I see. Well, come in, come in." Johanna stepped back from the door so they could enter.

"Honestly, he's not the friend I brought," Madison corrected Johanna and reached over to drag a reluctant Kate into view. "Actually I brought an old friend."

Johanna fainted dead away at the sight of Kate.

Rick swooped in and picked Johanna up off the floor. He carried her to the sofa and laid her down on it. "Find a glass of water and put that bag in the freezer." Rick looked up at Madison who had followed him.

"Close the door Kate," he said to her and went back to looking after Johanna. She momentarily thought of going out the door and closing it behind her. But Rick had the car keys and she didn't have any money. It hadn't occurred to her to ask for any and he hadn't offered. So she closed the door and found a chair to sit in with Alexis in her lap. "My nightmare is coming true," she whispered into Alexis's ear.

"Meow." _You've been missing 5 years._

That didn't stop it from being a nightmare in Kate's eyes.

It took a few minutes for Johanna to recover; she took the glass Rick offered and took a sip while staring at him. "Hi." She was embarrassed. Her favorite author was in her apartment and right in front of her.

She remembered she was fine until... " **KATIE!** " Johanna almost spilled her drink as she looked around and saw Kate sitting in a chair with a cat in her lap. She shoved the glass into Rick's chest and hoped he held onto it because she let go. She flew past Rick and Madison, went straight to Kate and got down on her knees in front of her. "Katie?" Johanna wanted to be sure she was real. Jo reached a hand out to cup Kate's face. "It is you, isn't it? …How? Where? What happened? You look older. You've grown into a woman." Johanna could feel the tears rolling down her face and did nothing to stop them.

Johanna turned towards Rick. "How are you involved?" Why was her favorite author here? "MADISON!" She knew she was in on this somehow. "What's going on, how long have you known?" She was ready to rip Madison to pieces.

"About a week." Madison replied feebly. **"A WEEK!"** Johanna was going to give her hell!

"Where's Jim?" Madison asked as a way of delaying her death. "Jim's at work, I have the day off." Johanna went back to looking at Kate. "Don't move." She pointed at Kate and went to find the cordless phone.

Kate bent her head down to Alexis. "I'm so dead," she whispered.

"Meow. Meow?" _Mothers don't kill their children. Do they?_

"I swear you two know what that cat is saying and one of these days you're going to tell me how you do it." Madison looked at both Rick and Kate. He found a chair to sit in while Kate hid her face in Alexis's fur.

"Jim, you need to come home now. …I don't care how important it is. …I don't care how mad he'll be. Tell them this is the hospital and your wife has just been admitted for emergency surgery. I'll kill you if you don't! Just come home RIGHT NOW!" Johanna hung up the phone, tossed it onto the sofa, and went back to looking at Kate.

Johanna did something she had chastised her husband for doing and sat on the coffee table so she could face Kate. "Where have you been Katie? We've been going mad since you disappeared." She wanted answers along with her daughter being back.

Kate scrunched up her face and tried to place Alexis in front of her as protection. "North Korea," she answered softly.

" **NORTH KOREA!?** What the hell were you doing in North Korea? All five years?" What in blazes was going on?

"Perhaps we should wait for your husband to get home?" Rick suggested.

"I'll tell Jim later; you three are going to tell me now." Johanna glared at them. Rick seemed unfazed. Kate was affected as was Madison.

"Do you have something hard to drink?" Rick asked from his chair.

"What has alcohol got to do..." Johanna was interrupted by Madison. "I'll get her a glass, I know where it is." She stood up and went into the kitchen.

"You should probably make it a double," Rick called after her. Now Johanna was worried and unsettled by Rick's comment.

Madison handed Johanna a tumbler that was easily half full of whiskey if not more than that. "Thanks, but I don't need it. Someone had better explain why my daughter has been in North Korea for 5 years!"

"Meow." _You're on_ _D_ _ad._ "And why do you have a cat in your lap?" Johanna added for good measure.

"The cat's name is Alexis and she's mine. Alexis, however, has decided that she likes Kate and has decided that everywhere Kate goes she should go too. She has essentially been adopted by Alexis, or vice versa," Rick explained.

"Kate was found in North Korea by a friend of mine that I met during my days of research on the Derek Storm books." Rick started off with a white lie, since there was no way he was telling the truth. "We both believe that Kate was picked up off the street, likely here in New York, and drugged to keep her docile and non-combative. Shortly after she was abducted, she was sold to a rocket scientist based in North Korea and she was shipped out or flown out. She has been in his…bedroom harem along with some other girls for the last 5 years." Rick made it quick. Rip the Band-Aid off kind of analogy.

Johanna was silent and took a good sized drink from the glass of alcohol that she didn't want.

"When he found her she was hooked up to an IV and was the only girl in that condition. It was later determined that the IV was filled with a mixture that was slowly killing her. We believe that the scientist had tired of her and was killing her prior to disposal of the body. It was only good timing that she was found when she was," he concluded.

Johanna took another drink. "Why does Katie act like she doesn't know me?"

"Because I don't." Kate spoke up for the first time.

"Becks has a lot of memory loss Jo," Madison explained.

"Kate's blood work showed that she was being heavily drugged, likely to keep her docile and not cause him any trouble. The combination of drugs that she was given has had an adverse effect on her memories. Especially anything to do with people amongst other problems," he explained. He hadn't even told Kate that she had gotten pregnant yet and was still debating if he ever should.

Johanna emptied her glass and held it out for Madison to take. She went into the kitchen to refill it. "So you don't remember me or your father?" She looked at Kate who silently shook her head.

Madison handed the now full tumbler back to Johanna. "Becks remembers some things, like when you were teaching her to cook. She just can't see you teaching her or remember your name."

"And just how do you know more than I do?" Johanna turned on Madison with a glare that made Madison cringe.

"Don't be mad at Madison, Mrs. Beckett. Kate managed to remember her name and we looked her up and Kate called her. We asked her not to tell you until Kate was ready. Madison has only known for close to a week," Rick explained.

Johanna was still trying to figure all of this out. She took another big drink and opened her mouth to ask another question when the front door burst open. Huffing and puffing preceeded a running Jim as he came crashing into the apartment.

" **WHERE'S THE FIRE** **!?** " was written all over his face.


	17. Chapter 17

**CH17**

"Huff, huff. Okay, why am I… **KATIE!** " Jim saw her sitting in front of his wife holding an orange and white cat.

The sight of his daughter had Jim scooting his wife over on the coffee table and he sat down beside her. "Katie!?" Jim reached out tentatively to touch Kate's knee, just to make sure she was real.

"You look different, your hair, your face, your…" Jim shut up before he went too far. "How, where, what? Where have you been?" Jim began crying on the last word. He had been trying to hold up his wife's spirits when his own kept dwindling month after month, year after year.

"Mr. Beckett, perhaps you and your wife would like to talk first," Rick suggested.

It was only then that he noticed Rick. Jim recognized him immediately. "How are you involved in this? You've been keeping her haven't you? That day at the grocery store... My god, even then you had my daughter and said nothing! You cold hearted bastard!" Jim was up and advanced on Rick.

" **JIM NO** , it's not…" Johanna stopped in mid-sentence as she watched her husband swing at Rick and connect, sending Rick's head snapping to the side. Rick hadn't been expecting it and the punch took him by surprise. However Jim's next attempt didn't go as well. Before Johanna, Madison, or Kate could blink, Rick had Jim on the floor crying out in pain as Rick shoved Jim's arm up his back so far that it nearly broke.

"JIM, STOP IT!" Johanna yelled at him. "Mr. Beckett!?" Madison didn't believe what she was seeing.

Kate was crying and dumped Alexis on the floor. She ran for the door, flung it open, and was gone in a heartbeat.

Rick saw her run and knew he had screwed up somehow. Still he couldn't just sit there and let Jim wale away on him. "Alexis, go with her," he called out and they all watched the cat bound out the door in pursuit of Kate.

"I didn't do anything Mr. Beckett. I'm not at fault here, do you understand? Do you hear me? I'm going to let go of you. Seriously, you need to talk with your wife." He started to release his grip on Jim's arm and when he didn't feel anything coming his way, Rick let go suddenly, stood up, and backed way off.

Jim stood up slowly, shaking his arm, fury written on his face. "Why have you been holding my daughter?" Jim started looking around and spotted the cordless phone on the sofa. Johanna got in front of her husband. "JIM, he didn't have anything to do with her being missing. Are you listening to me?" Jim took his eyes off of Rick, looked at the phone again, and then at his wife. "So he sold you a story, so what? Can't you see what he is doing?" Jim didn't see that he was getting anywhere with his wife so he lunged for the phone and quickly dialed 911.

"911 please state…" Johanna ripped the phone out of his hand. "Sorry wrong number." Then tossed it to Madison.

"Will you listen, or do I have to have Richard Castle pin you to the floor again and sit on you to get you to listen?" Johanna demanded.

Rick looked at Madison and flicked his head towards the door. That was enough to get Madison to slowly start for the door and then run for it when she thought she was close enough. Rick backed up cautiously and closed the door behind her with him still inside.

"I did not take your daughter. I've been helping her since a friend of mine found her." Rick tried to get him to understand.

"Katie's memory is gone Jim, she doesn't remember us." Johanna attempted to tell him, having seen it firsthand. "Actually she didn't even remember her own name at first. It took Madison to tell her her name," Rick added. "And if I took her why would I bring her back?"

"So you can prove to us that you have her and ask for a ransom. I don't know. You're the only one who's armed," Jim countered.

Rick lifted up his pant legs, took his coat off and threw it on the floor, pulled his sleeves up, and yanked his shirt out of his pants. "And where am I hiding this cannon you think I have? If you hadn't frightened your own daughter off, she could answer your questions. Now I don't know how I'm going to get her to come here again." Rick figured he could do it, but it wasn't going to happen any time soon and wouldn't be easy.

"DAMN IT JIM, she's our daughter! Stop it right now! " Johanna grabbed his arm with both hands, dragged him into the kitchen, and started reading him the riot act while pleading her case. She was still a lawyer.

Rick stood near the door and wondered what was happening with Kate wherever she had gone. Alexis would protect her, he knew that and if Kate thought of it, she could teleport away if she got the chance. Or maybe Madison had caught up to her.

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Kate ran for the elevator and punched the button to go down over and over again, crying the entire time. It had turned into her nightmare just like she knew it would. When one set of doors finally opened she stepped inside and didn't notice as Alexis leapt into the car with her. Kate pressed the button with the star on it over and over and didn't stop until the doors started to close.

Once downstairs she ran for the front door and started pulling on it, but the door wouldn't open which only made things worse. She pulled on the door over and over again as she cried even harder. She wanted to get away and couldn't. Kate was so blind in her flight that she didn't see the sign on the door that said 'PUSH'.

Madison didn't see anyone at the elevators so she hit the stairs and raced down them as fast as she could, cursing herself all the way down to the lobby for having chosen to wear heels.

Kate was still yanking on the doors with Alexis close by as Madison came charging out the stairway door. She ran to Kate and wrapped her arms around her causing Kate to panic and fight back. "BECKS IT'S ME! …Becks please calm down, it's just me!" Madison struggled with her til Kate looked at her, broke down, and started sobbing.

Madison looked around and didn't see anything to sit on, it was just an empty lobby, so she guided Kate to a wall and sat down with her. Kate held onto her and sobbed uncontrollably.

When her sobs began to slow down, Alexis moved in. She wiggled her way into Kate's arms, and started purring while rubbing her face up against Kate. That more than anything seemed to calm Kate.

"You alright now Becks?"

"It was a disaster Maddie. I knew I should never have come here. This was a mistake." Kate wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. "It could have gone better. At least Rick didn't kill anyone." Madison grinned, which got Kate to start smiling, knowing that Rick probably could have.

"Your dad will come around. Your mother isn't going to put up with his crap for long. When was the last time you saw your mother ever let Jim get his way?" Kate looked at her like she had lost her mind. "Oh yeah, not a really good example. Let's skip that one... Your mother will set Jim straight, you'll see," Madison said positively.

"My mother and father... Two strangers yelling at Rick like he was the one who took me instead of saving me. I just want to go home." Kate lowered her head, held Alexis close, and kissed her head. "So Rick's house is home now is it?" Madison couldn't help but tease her. That caught Kate a little by surprise and forced her to think about it. "I suppose it is." Kate committed to Rick's house being her home.

"And it doesn't hurt that he's good looking and sexy." Madison bumped her shoulder with smiled wide. "Maybe."

"So have you kissed him yet?" Madison went digging. Kate lifted her fingers to her lips as she remembered Rick kissing her in the shower and his tongue as it searched her mouth. "I'll take that as a yes. Have you managed to touch him yet?" Madison wondered what base Kate had made it to. Since Kate started blushing big time, she had her answer.

"So when is the big day?" Madison knew intercourse was next. "Until this disaster, I had hoped maybe tonight." Kate didn't know about tonight anymore, she wasn't really in the mood.

"It still can be Becks. Just go slow and tease him a little. When you get home, go into his bedroom and strip. Put on one of his dress shirts and wear it and nothing else, and I mean nothing else. If you haven't eaten yet and I know I haven't, go downstairs while he is cooking and help him cook. Try and get your hands on some skin while he is distracted. Show that you want him Becks. If he's half the man I think he is, you'll have something to eat tonight alright." Madison grinned while Kate chuckled.

"Maddie, how do you, I mean I've never…I want to please him and I don't want to…" Kate was still bashful about this stuff. "Resist the gag reflex when you take him in your mouth? First off try and relax, take a couple of deep breaths and try to ignore the reflex. If you do start to gag, swallow, it will help. You can also tilt your head back. The more open you are from your mouth to your throat the easier it will be."

"Another trick I've heard about is that if you start to gag, squeeze your left thumb. It didn't work for me, but you never know. Mostly it just takes practice, I'm sorry to say. Now as to whether you swallow his come or not is up to you. Some men taste like a monkey peed in battery acid, while others taste like honey. Which reminds me, don't eat anything for at least 30 minutes or more before you take him in your mouth. Like when your mother told you to not go swimming after you just ate."

"Oh, and what foods he eats can also change his taste. Have you tasted his come yet?" Madison asked, and saw Kate blush furiously. "Did you like his taste?"

"It was ok I guess."

"That's actually pretty good. The more you taste him, the more you'll adapt and learn to like it. Though if you have him in your mouth when he comes, keep him as deep into your throat as you can. His come will simply go down your throat and you won't taste a thing," Madison advised.

"Thanks Maddie. I don't know what I'd do without you right now."

"Who would have thought, me giving Katherine Beckett sex advice?" Madison started laughing getting Kate to join her, since they both knew Madison was likely to lose her virginity first. After all she was a year older than Kate.

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Johanna and Jim walked back into the living room to find Rick standing at the front door. "North Korea, really?" Jim asked him.

"I'm told Kate was the only Caucasian woman in the group; the others were all Asian and they were all similarly dressed, meaning not in much." Rick could tell hearing this wasn't helping a great deal.

"She was raped?" Jim queried. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Repeatedly over the years." Rick didn't want to sugar coat it. They were her parents. He watched Johanna grab Jim's arm after he said that. "I'm afraid there is worse. I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to be blunt." Rick delayed, possibly hoping they would stop him. "There was evidence that she was pregnant at one time and someone performed an abortion on her."

"OH GOD!" Johanna clapped a hand over her mouth and buried her face in her husband's chest. "Does Katie know?" Jim asked. He felt his own tears start as Johanna's were getting his shirt wet.

"No, I haven't told her yet. I'm still debating if I even should. She's already been through a lot." Rick didn't want to overload her.

"Good, that's good," Jim agreed. "Please don't tell her. She doesn't need to carry that burden also along with everything else. Was she…damaged?" Johanna prayed some quack hadn't done it with a coat hanger and ended any chance of her having children.

"Kate is excellent shape at the moment." Rick couldn't tell her it was bad and if it wasn't for B5, she might even be dead let alone infertile for life.

"Thank god!" Johanna buried her head back into her husband's chest.

"What happened to the bastard that took her?" Jim hoped he had gotten what was coming to him.

Rick knew he had ripped into his mind and left him a mental vegetable, but he couldn't tell them that. "My friend killed him after making sure he knew what true pain was."

"GOOD, the son of a bitch had it coming," Jim hissed. Rick could only nod.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I was out of place." Jim hung his head.

"She's your daughter, I can understand trying to protect your family," Rick replied. No real physical damage was done.

"You have a wife or children Mr. Castle?" Jim asked to see if he knew what family meant.

"I'm divorced. My wife left me after our daughter was born. She died when she was 2 years old, not that long ago," Rick said quietly. If you removed the 8 years of training that took place outside of normal time, it really was just under 2 years ago.

Johanna placed a hand over her mouth. Rick really did know what it was like to lose family, only he had lost all of his. Not just a daughter. "I'm so sorry, so very sorry. Do you have pictures?" Johanna asked, which got Rick reaching for his wallet. He pulled out a picture that was taken before Alexis was diagnosed with her disease and handed it over to Johanna who held it for her husband to see as well.

"She's gorgeous. I don't think I've ever seen hair color like that before." Johanna looked at it and felt so badly for Rick losing his little girl. "She's so young." Johanna looked up at Jim and expressed her sorrow in her eyes.

"My mother and my wife were both red heads so it was in the family."

"Have you seen her since then?" Johanna asked. Was he back with his wife now?

"I haven't seen or heard from her since not long after the baby was born and I don't care to." Rick saw the look on their face after that. "We were married too young and she actually wanted an abortion when she found out she was pregnant. She thought it would ruin her figure and that we were both too young for children. I talked her out of it." And everything still went to hell in a hand basket.

"She was beautiful." Johanna gave him his picture back. "I hope Katie didn't run too far." Johanna didn't want to lose her daughter all over again.

"Kate is too attached to Alexis. If Alexis caught up to her Kate would stop to pick her up, plus Madison is out there somewhere." Rick knew Alexis would stop her one way or another.

"I'm really sorry for how I treated you. I just…" Jim was interrupted. "You acted like a father should, protecting her daughter. Something I'm well acquainted with." Rick stopped him from apologizing again.

"Can we try this again?" Johanna inquired. "I'm assuming she's staying with you?" She didn't know where Kate was staying. Maybe Richard Castle simply brought her here. "She is. Do you have some paper and a pen?" Rick asked.

"Of course." Johanna jumped all over that offer and soon had Rick writing.

"This is my address and phone number. Call anytime for any reason. Call to see if you can come by or just stop by if you are out. I'm a writer so I work from home." Rick handed it to Johanna who held it to her chest like it was the most precious thing in the universe.

"I should thank you for the signed book, too. That was so nice of you," Johanna added.

"I don't do many book signings anymore, though I have a new book coming out soon and need to go on a short tour to promote it. I had a problem with my old publisher so now I have a new one and its printing was delayed."

"I don't suppose I could get a signed advance copy?" Johanna gave Rick her best smile she could generate with "Please" written all over her face.

"I'll have one signed and ready for you when you come for a visit. I'm leaving in a week and will be gone for 2 weeks so you'll need to come sooner rather than later," Rick warned them.

"Is tomorrow too soon?" Johanna asked, getting Rick to chuckle. "That depends on how Kate feels about it." Rick didn't know what Kate was thinking right now, but it likely wasn't good.

"We'll call first." Johanna promised, still clutching his address and phone number.

"I should go find her and get her home. Maybe a bubble bath will help calm her down." Rick was willing to try just about anything.

"Thank you for coming and bringing Katie with you. And thank your friend who saved her for us. It sounds like we came too close to losing her," Johanna said, a single tear running down her cheek.

Rick knew just how close they came to losing her alright and without B5 they would have.

Jim shook Rick's hand and apologized yet again as did Johanna. "Oh, I also brought some ice cream. I was thinking it would help us tonight. It should be in your freezer," Rick told them.

"I'll try it later tonight so I can get some sleep tonight." Johanna informed both of them.

"Only if you'll share." Jim countered.

"I'll be happy to listen to your opening argument counselor." Johanna replied.

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Rick stepped out of the elevator and found Kate sitting on the floor with Alexis in her lap and Madison sitting next to her talking softly.

Rick knelt down and looked at Kate. "How are you feeling?" He thought she looked better. "She was a little out of it at first, but she's better now." Madison answered for her.

"I've said our goodbyes for today. Ready to go home? I still need to cook dinner unless you would like to help?" he asked.

Kate smiled, took Rick's offered hand, and got up still holding onto Alexis.

"Call me tomorrow Becks. I want to hear everything." Madison leaned in close. "Don't forget what I told you."

That had Kate trying to fight back a powerful blush.

"Thank you Madison. Tonight might have been a complete disaster without you." Actually Rick was sure it would have been.

"I'm glad I could help. I expect to see both of you in my restaurant in the near future."

"Thanks Maddie, for everything." Including the advice!


	18. Chapter 18

**CH18**

She was quiet on the ride home, a little too quiet for Rick's comfort. "It wasn't as bad as it looked Kate." He knew she had missed having her father come around.

"It was a nightmare. Blaming you for everything when all you've done is help me. I never dreamed my parents could be that mean." She sank further into the car seat.

"Your father was protecting his daughter. I was a father once; I can understand his point of view," he stated.

"Meow." _You're still a father_ _D_ _ad._

"And your father did finally come around after you ran off."

Kate turned her head to look at him. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't sit there and listen to that. Maybe if I remembered who they were it would help."

"Next time will be better."

"NEXT TIME!?" She didn't want a next time. "Just take me home Rick."

He decided to make a point and turned the car around.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home, to your parents."

"I said take me home, where _we_ live. Their place isn't home." She didn't want to go back there, let alone spend the night there.

"They're your family Kate."

"No, don't make me. …Please Rick." She placed her hand on his arm. "You don't want me anymore now that I've met my parents, do you? Drop me off and let my parents deal with it all. I'm all better so might as well get rid of me!" She thought she understood him now. "Just stop the car Rick! …Please just stop the car!" She desperately wanted out, however he just kept driving.

"Fine!" She lifted her left hand so she could press the gem that was embedded in it. There was more than one way out of the car. He reached over quickly, grabbed her arm, and slammed on the brakes causing Alexis to slide off of Kate's lap down onto the floor board. The car behind him laid on his horn in protest.

"MEOW!" _Thanks a lot_ _D_ _ad_ _!_

"Let me go!" Kate tried to yank her hand free. "Please, just let me go." She was ready to give up.

"NOT A CHANCE! What I'm trying to point out, and failing badly it would appear, is that your parents love you and your father admitted he made a mistake. I know you don't see your parents' apartment as being home, but they are your parents and you will be seeing them again. And next time things will go better," he informed her. "Alexis, when I let go I want you to watch her closely and if she tries to teleport out of this car again, bite her."

"You and I are going to talk when we get home." He glared at her before starting to drive again, turning around and heading towards his home.

Meanwhile Kate felt Alexis put her paws on her uplifted arm that held the gem and forced it down. Alexis stood on her arm to hold it in place.

"I don't understand. I'm a 15 year old kid in a 20 year old body who doesn't know how to act 20 years old. Hell, I haven't even finished high school yet. You're being nice to me and I thought… And my parents blame you for everything. I just want…" She began crying. Her life was one messed up pile of… "I don't remember my own past, have no future. Please, just let me go." Trying to make up for 5 lost years was just too much. Rick didn't have a reason to help her anymore and her parents weren't that nice.

"Don't make me have Alexis turn into a tiger and sit on you. I'm not listening to her cry for weeks because you've gone and done something stupid. You were captured, sold, and raped for 5 years. The drugs they gave you damaged your body and your memory. You have 5 years to make up. I get all that. That and more actually. As for high school, B5 is going to start home schooling you straight into college if you want."

"Your body is fixed and your memory has been getting better and it'll continue to get better. And if you think either one of us is going to let you out of this car so you can slink off and kill yourself, you are sadly mistaken. I'll just have B5 pinpoint your location, teleport straight to you and dig that crystal out of your hand with a knife if I have to. I'll teleport you back home and lock you up again if necessary."

"Anyway you want to look at it, I'm taking you home. Then I'm going to show you just what making love is really like. What I'm going to do to your body is going to be sinful. I'll have you screaming simply because you can't imagine doing anything else. You want to know what it's like to be a 20 year old adult woman who has been made love to, well you're about to find out."

"Now shut-up and let me drive!" He had had enough. His own armor be damned.

She wiped away her tears with one hand and sniffled. Rick wanted her and he was going to make love to her, even after everything! "You can let go now Alexis." She wanted her arm back.

"Meow. Meow." _Not a chance. We love you._

She felt weird having her arm held down by a cat the rest of the way home; Alexis didn't release her until Rick had hold of her.

They entered the house. Rick kept his hand on her arm. He stopped at the door to his bedroom. "Sorry Alexis, no peeking and when Kate starts screaming, you stay out here." He closed the door. Kate caught her breath. Was she really going to be screaming? Sex was kissing and having a boy inside you. That was it, wasn't it? She knew Madison and other girls had talked about other things along with what Madison had told her while sitting in her parents' apartment building's lobby .

Rick backed Kate up until the back of her legs hit the bed and then he took her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

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Kate didn't remember how she ended up naked lying on her back in Rick's bed. She watched him remove his boxers, allowing her a look at his semi-erect penis. That was enough for her to remember what Madison had told her. However Rick did something she hadn't expected. He got down on his knees and placed the big toe of her left foot in his mouth. He started sucking on it while swirling his tongue around it as he massaged the bottom of her foot.

From there he licked and stroked his way up her leg and blew on her core, proving to Kate just how wet she was. Then he started sucking and licking the toe on her other foot, til finally worked his way up her leg. She was already squirming and biting her finger in anticipation as to what Rick might do next. Was he actually going to...? She cried out the second his lips met the lips of her core and felt his tongue start tracing up and down.

Kate woke up a while later and found she was lying on Rick, both of them still naked. One of her arms was squeezed in-between them while the other was on his chest with her palm resting on one of his nipples. One of her legs was draped over his leg and Kate could feel one of his arms under her with his hand on her shoulder.

She took a moment to think back. He had planted his face between her spread thighs and had done things she didn't know was even possible. Then he inserted a finger inside her. Kate didn't really understand what her body had done, just that she was sure she screamed over and over again. The pleasure never seemed to stop.

Rick stopped and left the bed only to come back with a small packet. It was a condom. Kate could remember helping him open it and place it on his erect penis. She was about to lose her virginity, she just knew it.

He had gone slow and used his hand to make sure she was wet enough then placed himself at her opening and pushed into her slowly. When he met resistance he pushed suddenly; Kate had bitten her lower lip to not cry out. It had hurt and later they found that she had had some minor bleeding. He kept pushing slowly until she was sure she was going to split in two. Then he just stopped for a few moments. She was beginning to feel better when he started to pull back out of her. She had actually complained that she wanted him in her not back out of her, only to feel him thrust himself all the way back in just as the head of his penis began to appear. Minutes later she had her legs wrapped around Rick as he slid in and out of her faster and harder, causing her to whimper and moan from pleasure.

She got her chance to put Madison's teaching lessons to use and found she did have a gag reflex. She had swallowed when it happened and had even squeezed her left thumb in her left hand to combat it. Both of them sort of worked and sort of didn't. Still Rick didn't complain and she swallowed down his come when he climaxed.

After she helped him put on his second condom of the night, he had turned her over and entered her from behind, telling her to reach down and touch herself while he took her.

The third and last one was used a little later as she was on top of him bouncing up and down while feeling his hands on her breasts. She was so pleased that she had real breasts now, not tissues stuffed into a training bra.

After they both climaxed, Rick went down on her again. Like last time, Kate lost herself and couldn't think or do anything except scream as each orgasm washed over her again and again.

"You keep that up and you're going to start round four," he cautioned her suddenly. It was only then that she came out of her orgasmic haze and realized her hand was on his semi-erect penis. She quickly withdrew her hand. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, not ever. If you want me to make love to you again just ask or do something to attract my attention. Never, ever be sorry for asking for what you want. I didn't make love to you for my own enjoyment; my needs are not more important than yours. Do you want me to make love to you again?" He would do it, gladly.

"No, I mean yes. ...I mean just not right now," Kate corrected herself. She could feel and hear Rick chuckle. "I'm a little sore and I don't think I would enjoy it."

"Did I hurt you? I honestly tried really hard not to hurt you." Rick lifted his head up a little so he could look at her. "No, …yes, I mean I know when I lost my virginity it would hurt and it did. But it's more than that. I've got muscles I didn't even know I had that are sore."

"Perhaps less sex in the future then?"

"OH NO, not that! I liked it and I want you to make love to me again. Just not until the pain goes away maybe," Kate suggested shyly. "Does it get better?" Meaning will it hurt less next time?

Rick chuckled at her innocence. "Yes, over time you'll adapt and find that you actually crave being made love to. It's endorphins in the brain that are released that makes sex so addictive."

"Then I guess we're going to have to have a lot of practice," she told him and reached her hand back down to his penis. "Kate?" Rick warned her again, only to find her kissing her way down to him. He soon felt her lips and tongue doing wicked things.

Kate was back to resting on Rick's chest again while licking her lips. His taste appeared to have changed, or maybe she was adapting.

"You know, if I'm not careful I could learn to like waking up like this," Rick said as Kate giggled. She wouldn't mind waking up like this either. Especially after she got used to making love and not being so sore each time. As their heartbeats slowed, they drifted off to sleep together.

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Rick suddenly sat up throwing Kate off to one side and she yelped. "OH, GOD! I forgot to feed Alexis last night. What time is it!?" He turned to look at the clock. "SHIT!" He struggled at getting untangled from the sheets.

"What's the rush? Alexis will just be a little hungrier is all." Kate didn't get what was so urgent.

"You don't understand. Alexis is an artificial construct. She converts food into energy. Since she's not a real cat, she doesn't have any fat to burn off. If she doesn't eat, she'll shut down!" Rick stumbled to the door, yanked it open, and didn't see Alexis where he had left her last night.

Kate finally understood what Rick had said. "OH GOD!" She scrambled out of bed and was right behind him as he ran down stairs to the kitchen. Both of them were still naked since Alexis was more important than their modesty.

Rick stopped at the entrance the kitchen and Kate slammed into the back of him. She poked her head around, dreading what she might see. Instead she started laughing. Alexis was lying on the floor eating dry cat food. She had gotten the lower cabinet door open and had ripped open the bag, spilling at least half of it all over the floor.

"I'm so sorry Alexis, it'll never happen again." Rick picked her up and put her on the island countertop. "I'll get you some canned salmon, just give me a few seconds." He tried to avoid the dry cat food on the floor as he moved around.

"I'll clean up the mess," Kate offered and began looking for a broom. Suddenly a pair of DRDs showed up. "No, no, no! …Shoo!" She tried to chase the two of them out of the kitchen using her broom. "Override cancel," Rick called out. The DRDs left, allowing Kate to clean up the mess as Rick put the salmon on Alexis's plate in front of her.

"You ok?" Kate petted Alexis while she ate. "This is probably my fault, I didn't know." She kissed Alexis's fur. "This is the 21st Century, don't they make automatic cat food dispensers? Maybe B5 can create plans for one and we can build it," she suggested.

"Meow." _I'm fin_ _e_ _Kate._ "Meow?" _And are you naked?_

She looked down and blushed. She started trying to cover her breasts and then placed a hand over her core. She kept changing hands, getting nowhere fast. "Oh the hell with it. Yes, I am." Kate stood up straight and placed her hands on her hips.

"Meow?" _You too_ _D_ _ad?_ "Meow." _I'm not shaving off my fur._ Alexis went back to eating while listening to Kate laugh.

"We should probably shower and get dressed. I'm expecting company this morning," Rick informed her and left for his bedroom. Kate looked between Alexis who was still eating and where Rick had gone. "Company? What company." She took off after him. "WHAT COMPANY?"

"Oh, Ow! Madison never said anything about this," Kate complained and took smaller steps.

She finally caught up to him just as he was stepping into the shower. Since she was already naked she stepped in with him. "Wash me?" She placed her hands on his chest and moved closer. "Water conservation I suppose?" he asked while smiling. He wrapped his arms around her. "Because you're so good at it," she countered causing him to chuckle.

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The doorbell chimed at 10:04 am. "Hm, wonder who that could be?" Rick said while sitting in the living room watching the weekend morning news. Sure, B5 could tell him all she knew, but it was fascinating to see what the press knew. Kate was snuggled up close to him and was just enjoying being beside him. "Delivery maybe? They can just leave it and we can pick it up later," she said since she liked where she was. "This is New York City Kate. You know that anything not nailed down gets stolen and even sometimes even if it is." He extracted himself from her arms and stood up to walk downstairs with her right behind him.

He turned on the panel at the door, saw who it was, and opened the door. "Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Beckett, I've been expecting you. Please come in." He stood to one side which gave Jim and Johanna a look at Kate who was dressed in nothing but a button down shirt of Rick's.

"RICK!?" She pulled the shirt closed over her breasts and bent her knees trying to cover lower down. "I'm, I'm…" Kate turned and ran for her bedroom, putting a hand behind her in an attempt to pull the shirt down to cover her exposed ass.

"I don't think Kate was expecting you," Rick guessed since she had followed him dressed like that.

He took them to the living room and sat down with them. "Have you had breakfast? Staying for lunch?"

"We just came to…" Johanna started but was interrupted by Jim. "What my wife is trying to say is that I slept on the sofa because of how I behaved last night, so we're… _I'm_ here to apologize again and ask if your jaw is better," Jim stated.

Rick smiled. "My jaw is fine and you have no need to apologize. Kate is your daughter; I may have my own pain but I can't imagine your pain of not knowing."

"We were down at our local precinct every week for months on end asking for information. Kate had simply disappeared. We begged them to keep the case open, but of course with nothing to go on, it became a cold case. We went down there on her birthday for the past 3 years to see if they had learned anything. They warned us that we might never know what happened to her. They even speculated that she had become part of the human trafficking of young pretty American women," Johanna explained.

"We never believed that that was what actually happened. Please express our thanks to your friend who found her and brought her back. He must be a very brave and resourceful man." Jim said, not realizing he had just thanked the very same man.

"You said that there were other women with Katie. What happened to them?" Johanna inquired. They must have had family too. "He dropped them off at a hospital in Japan where they would receive the best of care and try and find their families. I don't know what the final result was of that. I can only hope that they have been reunited with their families." Rick actually didn't know what happened to them.

"KATIE!" Johanna stood up when Kate walked in dressed much like she was when she was at their home. "Your father has something to say." Johanna whacked him in the arm. That got Jim to stand up. "I'm sorry Katie, I acted badly when you came to see us. I let my emotions take over because of what had happened to you get the better of me. I should have listened first before jumping to a conclusion with no facts to base it on. My only defense is that we love you."

Johanna approached Kate but didn't touch her. "You need to understand Katie, we lost our minds when you didn't come home. We went to see everyone we could think of daily for weeks. Police, FBI, we even hired a private investigator for a month. We went down to areas of the city no one should go, let alone us, and asked if they had seen you. I did favors for some real scum just to get a chance at some information. You had disappeared in a puff of smoke." Johanna blinked back tears. Her missing daughter was standing right in front of her.

"I just want… _we_ just want." Johanna couldn't stand it anymore and took a cautious step towards Kate and hugged her for the first time in over 5 years. "It's so good to have you home Katie." She finally gave up and started crying while holding Kate close. Kate wrapped her own arms around her mother.

This meeting went more like Rick had hoped it would and Kate was more comfortable with it.

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"We still have a lot of your stuff if you want to see and pick through it one day. Your clothes won't fit you anymore, but there may be something you want," Johanna told Kate at the front door on their way out.

"I'll think about, I promise."

"Are you sure you're alright here?" Jim hadn't had a chance to be alone with Rick yet and give him his "I'll hurt you if you hurt my daughter" speech.

"I'm right where I want to be. I'm even starting my high school courses when Christmas break ends. I still need to graduate high school. After that we'll see."

"That's great Katie!" Johanna hugged her again. "If you need money for anything, lunch money even. …Jim!" Johanna was going to have her ask but changed her mind. Jim took the hint and pulled out his wallet. He handed over every dollar he had in it, not paying attention to how much that was.

"You take it Katie and put it to good use. You use it up you let us know and we'll give you more. You're our daughter." Johanna hugged Kate yet again. "It really is good to have you back; we've missed you so very much."

"We'll be back," Jim told Kate as he hugged her goodbye.


	19. Chapter 19

**CH19**

Kate's meeting at her home with her parents the next morning and the two dinners since then had gone much better, especially after Jim had apologized to Rick in front of Kate each time. The last two times had occurred after Johanna had elbowed him in the ribs.

"You about packed?" He poked his head into her bedroom. It was still Kate's bedroom because that was where her clothes were but it wasn't where she was sleeping at night.

After their first night of making love to each other Kate had gone to her room only to get up in the middle of the night, slip into Rick's bed and curl up next to him. "Kate, how did you end up in my bed?" He had been trying to wake up.

"Sleepwalking I guess," she offered lamely. "Sleepwalking?" he queried. On the third night of "sleepwalking," she had awakened to find that he had his face firmly planted between her thighs with her panties missing. He had brought her orgasm three times before kissing his way up her body.

He had kissed her mouth allowing Kate to taste herself on his lips. Then he had rolled over and pulled a condom out of the end table. She watched as he put it on. She knew that she was about to have him inside her again and she wanted it so very much. Just like their first time he went slowly, however there wasn't any pain this time. Soon she wrapped her legs around his body as he built up a faster rhythm.

They had made love to each other this morning too, along with some heavy kissing and roaming hands in the shower. Their time with each other was why he was pushing her to get packed; they were running late for the airport.

Normally he would have just teleported all of them there, except his new publisher was sending Grant, his new literary agent, with him so they were forced to fly. Their itinerary had four stops: New York to DC. Stay in DC for two days with two book signings; fly to Boston for 2 more days; fly to Baltimore for 2 days; followed by flying to Chicago for 3 days with three book signings and then fly home Unfortunately the weather for Chicago wasn't looking good while they were there. Even before they got there it wasn't looking good.

"Sorry Alexis but since we have no choice but to fly, you have to go in a small carrier and sit under a seat." Rick made an "I'm so sorry" looking face.

"Meow!" _I expect fresh salmon for that_ _!_

"Room service or a trip to the closest grocery store it is." Rick thought he was getting off easy.

Thankfully their first class seats didn't have a seat in front of them so Alexis didn't have to get stuffed under a seat.

"Meow." _This doesn't let you off the hook._

They spent more time in the airport than they did on the plane. And Kate didn't see Rick's new literary agent until they reached the hotel. "Jonathan Grant, meet Kate Beckett and this is Alexis." Rick introduced both of them. Alexis was in Kate's arms buried under her coat since they didn't think the hotel accepted pets. Rick had both suitcases.

"The company has provided us rooms if you want to check in. Our first signing is at 9:00 tomorrow morning. There will be a car here waiting for us at 8:00 am," Grant informed them. "We have another signing at 3:00 pm and then we fly out late tomorrow. Here is an extra copy of our itinerary in case you forgot yours. Except for an hour before and after each signing, the time is yours to do as you please. Just don't miss our flights please." Rick was finding out that Grant was easy to work with.

"We'll be ready," Rick confirmed. They got their keys and headed to their rooms.

 _DC –_ _ **Mandarin Oriental**_ _– 702 square feet, king bed, chaise longue, sofa, working desk and coffee table. Large soaking tub and walk-in shower._

"MY GOD RICK!?" Kate walked around their hotel room. She could remember going on vacations with her parents when she was little. She just still couldn't see their faces and their hotel rooms didn't look anything like this.

"Like it?" Rick grinned since he had upgraded them after getting their itinerary earlier from Grant and knew he had over done it. "There are nicer rooms if this isn't up to your taste," he teased. "God no, I don't even know what we're going to do with this mansion. We're only here for one night." She didn't see the need for such a room. A double queen in a simple room would have been enough for her.

"Take a look around, I need to set up Alexis's kitty litter box," Rick said since they had smuggled Alexis into the room.

"Eat out or room service?" he offered when he came back.

Kate thought about it and then thought about Alexis. "Room service if they have fresh fish."

 _Appetizer – Kobe Beef sliders_

 _Salad with Shrimp. Soup – She Crab_

 _Entrée - CURRIED LENTIL, BABY CARROTS, SMOKED TOMATO JAM | ROASTED DUCK BREAST_

 _Entrée - RADISH, PICKLED BEECH MUSHROOM, RICE PUFF, CAPER BUTTER | RAINBOW TROUT_

 _Entrée – One raw Rainbow Trout_

 _Dessert - BUTTERMILK ICE CREAM | SHORTCAKE BISCUIT | DULCE CHANTILLY | STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE_

"Happy now?" Rick asked looking at Alexis as she ate her raw fish.

They were both sitting on the sofa except on opposite ends though Kate had her bare feet in Rick's lap as he mindlessly massaged her feet while they watched some local TV.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. Rick whacked the blasted device with his hand. "We have an hour," he whispered since he was still half asleep.

"No...wanna sleep." Kate snuggled in closer to Rick. "You wanted to see what a book signing was like," he reminded her. "I've changed my mind." She kissed what skin she could reach.

She found the bed cold after he got up and into the shower, where Kate, after groaning about the time, rolled out of bed and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Wash me?" she asked as she buried her head onto his back.

They were late coming downstairs by 6 minutes, not that Grant said anything. They helped the book store owner and his staff set up the place as she kept taking peeks at the line that was forming both inside and outside the store. The store was part of a strip mall. The line ran down the length of the little mall and was starting to come back the other way.

"How long do these usually last?" Kate asked offhand.

"We're scheduled to be here for 1-1/2 hours however it might stretch into two." Grant had been the closest at estimating the time. Kate kept looking at the line as it grew. "Two isn't going to be enough."

Two hours turned into 2 plus 18 minutes to get the last person in line who looked to be sweating bullets praying that they weren't going to stop before she got her book signed. They all stayed to help clean up. "The next one is at 3:00 pm; try to be there no later than 2:00. I'm going to go find some lunch. You did great Rick." And Grant left them at the store. Rick was learning to like Grant. Now if Gina had been anything like him, he'd still be with Black Pawn.

"I have something I need to do. Watch Alexis and find out what she wants to eat. And you too, naturally," he told her and headed for the men's room. "Where are you…?" She stopped when she saw where he was walking to.

"So, more fresh fish or something else this time?" she questioned Alexis who mused over her choices.

Rick checked to make sure the restroom was empty. He teleported home and picked up a pair of DRDs then teleported to Gina's apartment. With a slight modification the DRDs got to work... not cleaning but destroying. The hard woods were heavily scored as they were sanded down as were the walls, including pictures and the ceiling. Plasma torches made short work of furniture, the refrigerator, stove, bed, dresser as well as clothing hanging in the closet.

After lunch he returned to pick up the DRDs and took them home before going back to Kate.

"What kept you? I was beginning to worry you had flushed yourself," she teased. "No more duck for me," he responded with a likely sounding groan, causing Kate to smirk. "We'll find you some Pepto-Bismol."

They didn't have a lot of time before the next book signing so they selected a sushi restaurant where Rick placed order for take-out while Kate waited outside with Alexis. Then they took a taxi to the closest mall, went inside to get out of the cold, and sat down to eat.

"Meow." _This is not salmon._

"It said it was on the menu," he defended himself. "Is it good enough to eat? We really don't have time to look for something better." Rick cursed internally. He should have gone someplace else. Sushi places were notorious for saying it was some expensive fish and charging you for it, only to later find out it was cheap crap.

Since Alexis didn't say anything and ate it anyway, it must have been good enough. "I'll make it up to you in the morning," he promised.

The next book signing was much like the first one. They had to run to the hotel to pick up all of their luggage they had stored there and made a dash to the airport to make their flight to the next city.

 _Boston –_ _ **Mandarin Oriental**_ _– 1080 square feet, king bed, sofa, dining table, soaking tub and walk-in shower. Working desk, audio system._

"You're trying to spoil me Rick. I'm on to your little plan." She walked up to him, slipped her arms around him, and lifted up on tippy toes to kiss him. "Go ahead and spoil me."

Alexis got her fresh raw halibut for breakfast while Rick and Kate ate their breakfast. Their first book signing wasn't until 3:00 pm with another one at 10:00 the next morning then their flight to the next city.

 _Steak and Eggs – Rustic potatoes, grilled tomato._

 _Eggs Benedict – Parisian ham, wilted spinach, poached egg, hollandaise sauce, with smoked salmon_ (Kate shared that with Alexis)

Since the book signing was to take place in a Barnes & Noble in the Prudential Center/Copley Place, they agreed to do some window shopping before heading to the event. Naturally they were spotted and soon they had their own line as people who had come to see Rick went looking for him instead of waiting.

They made a dash for the Cheesecake Factory to hide out and ate some sinfully good cheesecake while waiting for 2:00 pm when they would meet Grant.

They got to leave the Barnes & Noble store a little over 3 hours later. They were both starving, so it was back to the hotel to order room service and get Alexis another fish. Halibut seemed to be the only option.

 _Croque Madame – Warm housemade ham, Gruyere cheese, béchamel, toasted white bread, egg sunny side up._

 _Spaghetti Au Citron – Wellfleet counterneck clam, bottarga, lemon, fennel._

Next morning Kate decided it was Rick's turn to be washed using her lips and tongue to wash his penis as she got in more practice trying not to gag while taking care of him and his morning erection.

He had Kate on her back on the bed naked after that. "Your turn," he muttered as he worked his way up her leg. "Time?" she questioned. "We'll make time," Rick responded as he placed his lips and tongue where they could do the most good. She ran her hands through his still slightly damp hair, holding his head in place before finally screaming out her orgasm.

 _Baltimore –_ _ **INN at Henderson's Wharf**_ _– King bed, Hemingway style furnishings, personal butler service, Wolfgang Puck coffee service._

They had 2 book signings to do today. One was at 11:00 am and one at 4:00 pm with an early flight to Chicago the next morning.

"You're losing your touch Rick," Kate teased since this room, while nice, was a lot more like she was used to.

They had a _European Style Continental Breakfast_ in the morning before running off to the first book store. The owner graciously provided burgers for lunch before they darted off to the next book store. "How's your hand?" She had noticed him flexing it more lately. "It's fine just a little off from the extended use," he replied, which made her wonder. He said that his hands and arms weren't his exactly. Not that she had noticed based on what he could do to her body with those hands! "And yes to your unasked question. They work just like normal hands for the most part." He smiled when he saw the look on her face and the blush that quickly showed up. "You're cute when you're flustered." Rick leaned across to kiss Kate quickly.

They picked up food from a deli and also managed to snag some fresh fish for Alexis on the way back to their hotel. Once back in their room they made subs and ate chips, washing everything down with bottled water.

It was an early flight the next morning. The flight lasted longer than the others partly due to being in a holding pattern before they could land. Chicago was a busy hub. "Kate what's wrong? You've been quiet."

"It's nothing really," she replied.

"Fine, but you're going to tell me when we get to the hotel."

 _Chicago –_ _ **Waldorf Astoria**_ _– 915 Square feet, king bed, fireplace, outdoor terrace, refrigerator, freezer, microwave._

It started to snow on the drive from the airport. "We have one signing for each of the next 3 days. The car will be out front waiting as scheduled. You do still have your itinerary?" Grant queried as Kate pulled it out of her carry-on bag to prove it.

She walked into their room. "WOW, this one even has a fireplace. Does it work? How do you get it started?" She was also wondering where the wood for it was until she noticed it looked a lot like the ones at home, which got her searching for the switch to turn on the gas. "Found it," she said as she flipped the switch. A vision of cuddling up naked next to Rick in front of a fire ran through her mind. Oh she was going to like this room!

"When is the first one today?" Rick asked as he was picking up the phone to order a fresh raw fish for Alexis.

Kate searched for the itinerary she just had in her hand. "3:30." She glanced at the clock. "We have just under 2 hours."

"As soon as Alexis's meal gets here we can take a shower before leaving," Rick suggested as he set up Alexis's kitty litter box in the bathroom. "Room service for this hotel appears to be limited. If we want to eat here we need to go downstairs to the Bistro restaurant which is likely where the fish is coming from," he told her and began stripping to get in the shower.

He was just squeezing out some shampoo when a pair of arms encircled themselves around him. "Wash me?" Kate kissed his back. "Please?"

They were still at the book store and only one hour into the event with only a handful of people still in line. Grant stopped by just as Rick signed his last book. "The book store owner is shutting down. It's been snowing since we left the airport and the forecast is for snow all night. He wants his employees to get home while they still can."

"What about tomorrow?" Rick asked. "We'll just have to play it by ear. I'll contact the store in the morning and see if it is still on. Chicago is used to snow so maybe it won't be so bad," Grant replied.

It took them 2-1/2 hours to get to their hotel. Rick sent Kate into the Bistro to get tables while he took Alexis up to their room. "We'll bring you back a cat snack." He kissed her fur and went back downstairs to join Kate.

They had only just started their meal when everyone was told to get what they wanted, pay for it, and take it to their rooms. The restaurant was closing early so the employees could make it home.

Rick, Kate, and Alexis were soon sitting up in bed watching TV and watching the snow fall in large, heavy flakes. "There may not be a book signing tomorrow if this keeps up all night." Rick had gotten up to look outside. "So we're stuck here?" Kate groaned. Stuck in Chicago surrounded by snow. Rick lifted up Kate's left hand. "We're never stuck anyplace we don't want to be." She smiled.

"I didn't bring a swimsuit," she reminded him. "Never mind!" It suddenly hit her. She could just go home and get one. "What if I want to be trapped, all cuddled up next to you in front of a fire?" Kate wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his side.

Rick went into the bathroom to put it to use and Kate took that time to start building a fort at the end of the bed with everything she could find, stripping the bed clean. "What are you up to?" he asked as he walked back into the main room.

"I want to snuggle in front of the fire while it snows outside," she explained as she stripped off her clothes. Rick just stood there watching her. While that was nice in and of itself, his response wasn't what she wanted. "Strip Rick! We're cuddling in my little fort naked. Now strip."

She was taking her bra off just as he started taking his clothes off. She was naked long before he was and started situating herself in her little fort. "Kill the lights please," she asked as she moved a couple of pillows. Rick placed Alexis on the bed near the end of it, had the lights out, and settled down next to Kate who arranged her fort to help him get in close.

She helped him envelope themselves in a cocoon as she slipped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Comfy?" Kate asked him.

Rick shifted a pillow to a new location and folded one arm around her back. He twisted his body a little to allow his other hand to land on her upper thigh and then pulled her head onto his chest. "I am now." She smiled and placed her hand on his limp penis and just held it there. After several minutes Kate could feel Rick's hand rubbing softly against her thigh as he worked it up higher and higher getting closer to her core. Kate retaliated by teasing the head of his penis. "Kate?" "Hhmm?" she murmured, feeling his penis respond to her gentle fingers as she felt herself getting wetter.

"You were stressed out earlier, what were you thinking?" Rick asked his question that he let Kate get away with not answering earlier. She switched to paying more attention to the little hole at the tip of his penis, feeling Rick retaliate as a finger made it to her wet lips.

"I was thinking that without a high school diploma I can't get a job and I don't even know what I want to do." Kate was thinking about serious stuff. Rick got her to take in a quick breath when his finger slid over her clitoris for a moment.

"B5 will start teaching you when we finally get back home. As for after that, do you remember what you wanted to do before everything happened?" She shook her head. She hadn't even graduated high school let alone decided what or who she wanted to be after going to college.

"Maybe something will come to you while you are studying at home. You have time." He pressed a finger inside Kate getting her to suck in a deep breath and moan a little; then he felt her start stroking his shaft.

"I thought you wanted to cuddle?"

"I did. …Condoms?" She had other ideas now.

"Suitcase."

21.6 inches of snow in 3 days.


	20. Chapter 20

**CH20**

The hotel apologized and gave everyone a voucher for a future 2 night free stay for the inconvenience everyone was experiencing because of the snow. The staff was down to just a few people, the kitchen was closed, and the rooms were being cleaned slowly based on the type of room/suite people were in.

Grant had been down to see them each day to tell them that the book signings would have to be re-scheduled at a later date. Rick's contract stated that if a signing had to be canceled, it would be rescheduled as soon as feasibly possible.

The problem for most of the people in the hotel was finding food. The roads were buried in snow and empty of cars. Even if someone did venture out, nothing was open since no one could get anywhere.

Rick and Kate, however, didn't have that problem. When they got hungry they teleported home and cooked there. Being home temporarily included Rick going out for some fresh fish for Alexis since a deal was a deal.

Then they went back to their room where Kate wore one of Rick's dress shirts and nothing else while Rick only wore his boxers. The TV was on and all of the local stations spent the entire day talking about the storm that had dumped so much snow on them in 3 days.

There were easily a hundred thousand homes without power. Fortunately their hotel never lost power so they were warm even if they never did turn off the fireplace. In fact Kate had her head in Rick's lap who was sitting on the floor staring at the fire as he stroked Kate's hair, not thinking about anything.

"Rick?" Kate had a question after being semi-trapped there for the past 4 days. The airport was closed also, not that it mattered since no one could get to it. "Hmm?" he mumbled distractedly, not really listening. "Am I your girlfriend now?" Kate so wanted to be. "Hmm…what?" He really hadn't been listening. He was too relaxed right where he was. "Girlfriend. …Am I?" Kate tried again, looking up at him. Her question pulled Rick out of the clouds and he looked down at Kate. "Can adults be girlfriend, boyfriend?" he countered.

"Why not? I'm not seeing someone else and don't want to. And you better not be thinking of one of those women who asked you to sign their chests instead of a book!"

"I've told you once Kate and I'll keep telling you. I like the size of your breasts. Yours are the perfect size. I also happen to like other parts of you too." Rick grinned which earned him a swat to the arm. "What brought this on? Is it those fans?"

"I'm your favorite fan Mr. Castle. I love your books Mr. Castle. Will you sign my chest Mr. Castle? Will you take me to bed Mr. Castle? Can I have a kiss Mr. Castle? You're so sexy Mr. Castle." Kate ticked off just some of what she had heard over the past few days.

"You're cute when you're jealous. None of those women got or ever will get more than my autograph in a book. …Do you want me to sign your chest?"

"NO! Of course not. Why would I want you to do that?" Kate shuddered at the thought. "I just… Those women didn't even look at me when they bent way over so you could look down their shirt with no bra on." She had hated that most of all.

"You _are_ jealous. Kate Beckett has a green-eyed monster hidden away within her," Rick teased which caused him to lose Kate from his lap as she sat up suddenly.

"I'm serious. Those women were all over you! I'm amazed half of them didn't grope you and bend down to force a kiss from you." Kate didn't know how their conversation got to be so serious, but this situation meant something to her. She was living with Rick, making love to him, and she didn't like some of what she saw on this book signing tour. She was his girlfriend, wasn't she?

"And did I do anything more than be nice and smile at them and sign their book after asking their name so I could add it into the signature? Who did I go home with when it was all over? And did you see any of those women stick around trying to see if they could get lucky?" Rick demanded. Kate slumped and dropped her head and shoulders. "No." She had to admit he had barely said much of anything to any of them.

"Are any of them in this room with me? Did even one of them say anything about Alexis sitting next to me or sitting in your arms? Did even one of them say anything about wanting to get to know me?"

"No." she sank a little lower.

"Did even one ask if I was married, had children, or had a girlfriend?"

"I'm being stupid aren't I?"

Rick got on his knees so he could hold Kate's face in his hands. "You're sweet, caring, beautiful, and sexy. Especially wearing my shirt." Rick grinned getting Kate to giggle.

"If it makes you feel better, you can tell anyone that you are my girlfriend. And if they so much a place a finger on me you'll kick their ass," he said getting Kate to chuckle since she had no idea or the skill to kick anyone's ass. "Can you teach me to kick someone's ass?" If she was going to defend what was hers she needed to know how to do just that.

"After you finish your homework I suppose I could be persuaded to take you downstairs to the exercise room and teach you how to handle yourself. Actually, if you're going to be my Class One agent working with me on my missions, you're going to need lots of training." It suddenly occurred to Rick.

"I can be your partner?" Kate launched herself at Rick and kissed him. She had a job! Now just what did this job pay? She broke from the kiss. "Does this mean I get an allowance?" She meant paycheck, but she was still 15 years old inside.

"We'll talk," he said and went back to kissing Kate, who soon found her shirt off and was on the bed screaming at the climax of her first orgasm of the evening. This time she put the condom on Rick without his help. Kate got on top and bounced up and down before switching to rotating her body with Rick inside her as she played with her breasts and climaxed.

She was lying on top of Rick and doodling a finger on his chest. "I'm glad you found me. I didn't want to die, and I like being your girlfriend."

"Me too; it's been a long time since I had a girlfriend."

 **It is now 3 months later:**

Kate's parents had slowed down to coming over to their house just once every 2 weeks or so. A little bit of her memory about them had returned, just not that much.

They were forced, so to speak, to stay in Chicago for a week instead of 3 nights and 4 days. Thanks to the snow it had turned into 6 nights and 7 days and true to his word Alexis got fresh fish for each and every meal even if it did require him to teleport back home to get it.

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They had made love to each other just that morning. Kate was lying on Rick perfectly sated and happy. She thought she was learning what he liked to do in bed but could feel that something was missing. She just didn't know what.

Madison had warned her to not get comfortable wearing yoga pants and t-shirts. They might be comfortable but they did nothing to excite Rick and keep him interested in her. And Kate wanted his eyes on her and no one else, let alone his hands. So she had commandeered some of his dress shirts and started wearing a thong under them to keep him guessing instead of showing him everything.

It seemed to be working too, since she had found herself being taken by Rick almost all over the house. He had started carrying a condom with him everywhere he went and Kate was loving all of it.

In fact they were cuddling after making love this morning. Kate could almost feel those three little words on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't say them yet.

At the moment she was sitting in the kitchen at the table with her homework spread out all over. Rick walked in to start dinner since her parents were coming over in about an hour.

"How's it coming?" he asked as he searched the refrigerator for suitable ingredients for dinner.

"Fine I guess, B5 is a hard task master. I don't remember school being this difficult before." She was sure B5 hated her.

"B5 is a computer and while she has a personality, she does not hate you," he corrected opened her mouth with the word "HOW?" almost spilling out before she closed it. It was one of the things that she was just getting used to. They were together almost all day each and every day and they were starting to answer questions before the other could ask them.

Then Alexis bounded into the kitchen and hopped up on the table. She walked all over Kate's homework so she could press her face into Kate and purr. "If B5 flunks me because you destroyed my homework I'm taking your fish away from you," Kate warned her. But it was a hollow threat since she held Alexis, rubbed her face in Alexis's fur and then kissed her.

Kate already knew she loved Alexis, she just had to convince herself that she loved Rick too.

"How's she doing B5?" Rick could ask Kate, but since the teacher was right there… "Kate's math skills are below acceptable levels," B5 began. "I HATE MATH," she countered as a way of defending herself.

"Kate has shown an ability to learn a new language easily and is already past grade school in Russian. Kate has an excellent grasp of biology and Earth sciences. However we have yet to start chemistry or physics. For that we will require some lab equipment."

"Put it on my tablet and I'll get it ordered. What else?" He knew there had to be more.

"Kate's economics are terrible thanks to her poor math skills," B5 stated only to be interrupted by Kate. "HEY! No teacher's apple for you B5." Kate stuck out her tongue at her. Rick chuckled.

"Kate's historical thinking and grasp of US Government, US History, World Geography, and World History are excellent. She should excel in any job that requires these skills. We have yet to do much in physical education due to the weather still being cold out. We should be able to start weight training soon."

"As for the arts, Kate shows a small talent for music, all most nothing for visual arts as well as drama. And when we have time we will recruit you to help her learn to dance."

"ME!? But I don't know how to dance," Rick pointed out.

"Don't worry babe, you'll learn. That or I'll need new feet." Kate smiled.

"We'll dance barefoot, just in case," Rick suggested. Wait, "BABE!?" He looked at Kate, surprised, since she had never called him that before. "It's your new name, deal with it." She liked it so she was going to use it.

"Does that mean I can call you honey…snookums, love muffin, angel, baby cakes, blossom, cupcake, cutie pie, gum drop, lamby pie, lady bug, snuggle bunny, tootsy-wootsy…" He was interrupted when she yelled at him to stop. "Fine, but you're no fun."

"I'm lots of fun as you well know," she countered.

Rick walked around till he was behind her and leaned down to start kissing her neck, getting Kate to tilt her head to allow him better access. "If you get "babe," I get something." Rick reached around and took Kate's breasts in his hands and started palming them through her bra.

"Not any of those." Kate hummed as she started coming unglued like she always did when Rick used his hands on her body. "Then think of one, or I'm going to pick one like you did and start using it," he challenged. He lifted her t-shirt over her head and went back to work on her breasts and neck. "That's not fair, how am I supposed to think…" She stopped talking when she felt her bra fall away and Rick's hands on her bare breasts.

"Think under pressure," he suggested and got her up out of her chair so he could undo the buttons on her skinny jeans.

"Dinner?" Kate asked as Rick got her jeans undone. "Homework," she said weakly as she felt her jeans and her panties go down in one smooth motion; he knelt down to pull her legs out of them and kissed his way back up. "Oh, Rick!" That was an invitation to his ears as he pulled out the condom packet and handed it to her. She took it, pulled his pants down and rolled the condom on his erect penis.

Rick spun her around and bent her over the dining room table. He placed his tip at her opening and rubbed up and down, coating the condom with her wetness. "Rick, please..."

XXXXXxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXxxxXXx

Her homework was all over the table and floor as Rick pulled out of her and took off his used condom to throw it in the trash. Kate turned to him and kissed him passionately. She pinched his nipples hard and kissed him again. "Rick, I'm…" She wanted to tell him, she really did. Just what if he didn't say it back? And then the damn doorbell rang.

"That will likely be your parents."

"OH SHIT!" She got out of his arms and scrambled to put her clothes back on.

Rick pulled his pants back into place, threw out the condom, and went down to the front door. Except it wasn't Kate's parents. Rick raised his eyebrows at who was on the screen and opened the door. "Officers. What can I do for you?"

"We have a few follow up questions for you. Is a Ms. Katherine Beckett also at home?" He looked at his notes to get the name right.

Rick walked over to the panel and pressed a button. "Kate, please come down to the foyer," he said. "Officers, please come in." Rick waved his hand motioning them inside.

"Thanks, it's a cold one today," he responded as they both came inside and kept their coats on.

Kate eventually showed up and was surprised at who was in the foyer. "Police?"

"We wanted to ask you a few more questions about the destruction of one Gina Cowell's apartment." Looking again at his notes.

"I'm not sure what we can add. Kate and I, along with my literary agent, were stranded in Chicago during a blizzard that shut the city and airport down for days. The hotel could only offer sandwiches that we had to make ourselves because their staff couldn't make it in to work."

"We found out later that we were some of the lucky few. Our hotel didn't lose power. We heard that thousands of homes did. Some for a few days, most for weeks, and a few for a month," Kate added.

"We had our room cleaned and got new sheets only once during the entire week. I'm not sure everyone even got that. My book signing, which was why we were there in the first place, was rescheduled for the next month went a lot smoother. We stayed for 3 night and 4 days just like originally planned," Rick explained.

"And when was the last time you saw Ms. Cowell?" the officer inquired.

"It's been months so I'm not sure of the exact date anymore, however it would have been weeks before we left for DC, then Boston, followed by Baltimore, and then finally Chicago. Two days in each and then we flew to the next city while Chicago was a week thanks to the snow."

"And you Ms. Beckett?" The officer turned toward Kate. "I've never met her I don't think. …Oh wait, there was that one time when she showed up with a pair of officers at our front door demanding to be let in, saying that a giant tiger, of all things, had attacked her. She kicked Alexis and barged inside, which was when I decked her for kicking Alexis. …She had it coming," Kate added the last with pure venom in her voice that no one missed hearing.

"And Alexis is?" The officer was thinking a child. "That would be my cat." Rick informed them.

"Meow. Meow." _That would be me. And I'm still going to eat her heart._

The officer looked down at the cat who was just sitting there. "Alexis turned out to be fine after all that or I would have convinced Rick to have her arrested and sued into oblivion." Kate hated Gina almost as much as Rick did.

"And where were you during this incident Mr. Castle?" the officer asked. "I was out of the house for an extended period of time. I asked Kate to watch the house and Alexis for me. I only found out later what Gina had done," Rick told them, leaving out the part about it being days later.

"Thank you for your time. If we have any more questions we'll be back," the officer told them.

"Unless we're on vacation or just out, we'll be here." Rick informs them.

Jim and Johanna were walking up to the door just as the officers were leaving. "What did they want?" Jim asked as Rick and Kate took their coats.

"My previous literary agent tried to get me to be her boyfriend or just tried to get me into bed, so I fired her and sent my last book to a different publisher. Her first response was to come here while I was out of the house. She kicked Alexis across the room while Kate was here." Rick partially explained.

"Oh dear!" Johanna knelt down to pick up Alexis. "Poor baby. Are you alright?" She scratched the side of Alexis's face.

"Meow." _I'm fine now, and I'm still going to eat her heart._

"Then while Kate and I were trapped in a snow storm in Chicago, someone got into her apartment, destroyed it and ripped everything she owned to pieces."

"Sounds like she has enemies," Johanna commented, not knowing she was standing in front of two of them and holding the third.

"Well, when you're a cold, heartless, self-centered bitch it's not hard to imagine," Kate commented. "KATHERINE HOUGHTON BECKETT!" Johanna took exception to her language. "Well she is," Kate countered.

They all ended up in the kitchen since Rick hadn't started cooking yet. "What tornado blew through here?" Johanna looked around the kitchen table.

"My homework was getting the best of me," Kate explained as she started to pick up the mess that she and Rick had recently made when he took her on the table just moments before.


	21. Chapter 21

**CH21**

Kate was enjoying having her parents come over for a visit. Usually it was for dinner but one time they had taken her and Rick out for breakfast to mix things up. She didn't understand how she could forget people who obviously loved her a lot.

As soon as Rick parked the car, they walked up to the restaurant. They hadn't been there since the grand opening and Kate was kicking herself for not calling earlier.

"Welcome to Q3, do you have a reservation?" one of the three ladies up front asked them.

"Yes, we have a reservation for 2+1 under Castle."

"Of course Madison has been expecting you. She has reserved the kitchen table just for you. If you care for a drink while I inform her that you are here..." She guided them to the bar.

Rick recognized the lady bartender from last time and ordered the same drinks as before. As expected she didn't blink an eye and went to work. They were both sipping their drinks when Madison showed up "Becks! Rick!" She hugged each of them, being careful when she saw a hint of orange and white inside Rick's coat.

"Right this way." She took them back into the kitchen where everyone was working hard "Please sit. Alexis this is yours." Madison patted the stool that was up next to the table; Rick took her out and placed her on the stool.

"So how have you three been? It's been months since I've seen you," she pointed out.

"I'm sorry Maddie, I've been buried in my high school classes lately."

"You're going to finish school! That's great Becks. I saw your parents just the other day, they are so happy. The difference between when you were missing and now is amazing."

"We've had them over to the house several times now, almost every 2 weeks or so," Kate shared.

"If you two will excuse me, I'll be right back." Rick got up and kissed Kate's head on his way to the bathroom.

"Okay Becks, give. You've got maybe 2 minutes tops. You're still living with Rick I assume from what I hear from your parents. Even Jim isn't complaining. How are you two doing?"

"We're great Maddie, he makes me so happy."

"So have you two finally…"

Kate blushed. "A lot actually and your hints were a big help, thanks."

"When are we expecting little Castle babies?"

"MADDIE! Not for years hopefully. I'm only 20 and I'm still trying to get used to that," Kate said, her face flaming.

"How big is he?"

"MADDIE!" Kate was shocked. "I wouldn't know since Rick is the only one and is going to be the only one!"

"So wedding bells first? You move fast!"

"We're _not_ getting married Maddie. Right now he's just my boyfriend. I just don't want to share him with anyone. You should have seen some of the women at his book signing. Some of them all but stripped right in front of him and asked him to take her right there on the table!"

"Have you only done it in bed or have you christened other places?"

Kate stared at Madison for a moment. "Dining room table, his desk, kitchen counter, and even one of the lounge chairs in the theater room while watching a porn movie."

"BECKS! You are having fun now aren't you? …What? Is something wrong?"

"I don't want to get stale and have him start thinking of other women, women who are more experienced than I am."

"Try something kinky then. Have you tried tying each other to the bed and doing whatever you wanted to the other. When that gets old you come see me."

"What about you Maddie, who's in your bed?"

"I might have someone who I'm seeing."

"Give girlfriend. I want a name, what he does, and how old is he?" Kate shared information, it was time for Madison to do the same.

"His name is Kyle and I met him through our esteemed mayor. He was hired by Bob and works with him on his staff. I keep asking what he does, but he keeps saying that he can't tell me. Politics." Madison rolled her eyes. "At least he's cute and good in bed."

Rick chose that moment to show up.

"I've already ordered for you two and I have three different offerings ready for Alexis. I have to check on things but I'll be back." Madison got up and went out into the restaurant.

 _ **Kobe served NY Strip-style in a 12-ounce portion, Perfect Baked Potato**_

 _russet potatoes (about 2½ lb.), scrubbed_

 _Olive oil (for rubbing)_

 _Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)_

 _Freshly ground black pepper_

 _Unsalted butter, finely grated Parmesan (or your favorite cheese), and/or chopped fresh chives (for serving)_

 _Grilled Asparagus_

 _ **Fleur Burger 5000**_ _Kobe beef burger comes topped with seared foie gras and truffles on a brioche bun._

 _Double-fried French fries with sea salt and fresh ground pepper._

Alexis – _Trout, Halibut and catfish._

"What is that?" Kate wanted to know what Madison was eating.

"This is a _Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata_. Basically it's a bed of fried potatoes, covered with shredded lobster with 10 ounces of caviar on top."

"Caviar, isn't that…" Madison interrupted her. "Yup, it's delicious. Want to try a taste?" She placed a small amount of each item on a spoon and offered it to Kate who cringed but opened her mouth, closed her eyes, and got ready. She took a bite and chewed with her face all scrunched up like she was going to vomit. Still she swallowed it then reached for her passion fruit Sangria to kill the taste. "That was disgusting Maddie, how can you eat that… that… "

"We need to open up your pallet girlfriend. You can't keep eating cheese burgers and fries."

"I dip them in my shake."

"Meow!" _Not while I'm eating please_ _!_

Kate stuck her tongue out at Alexis. Rick started chuckling at the dynamic of their little group.

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Rick helped Kate with her coat. "I'll get the car," he told her, giving Kate and her friend a few moments alone.

"You look happy Becks, he's good for you."

"I'm falling in love with him Maddie. I don't like the look of my life without him in it."

"Have you told him that?" Madison asked and watched Kate shake her head. "Try not to push him Becks. It looks like you've made it through his armor, so now you need to not push him away by going too fast. Give him a chance to come to you," she suggested. "And go buy four pairs of handcuffs to secure your man to the bed and have your way with him. Remember, you need to tease him mercilessly while he is secured to the bed. If you have watched him closely you'll know just when he is about to come. You can either stop doing anything or pinch his erection right at the base as hard as you can."

"Just keep doing that over and over again. If you've got him crying and screaming for release, you'll know you're doing your job correctly. Then I suggest that you sit right on his face and order him to service you or you'll leave him tied to the bed and he'll never come." Madison smiled wickedly. "Whatever you do, don't let him come until you chose to. Not because he is begging you."

"Thanks Maddie." Kate hugged her. She had no idea what she would do without Maddie and her 5 years of experience since she didn't have any.

Now she just needed to figure out where to buy them. It took Kate two days but she finally settled on Sportsheets Under the Bed Restraint System along with a black sleeping mask so that he was blind when she wanted him to be. The straps used Velcro and she could attach it to the bed and hide it under the bed until she was ready.

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Rick spent most of the next few days after dinner at Q3 writing his next book. He had all these words and ideas in his head that needed to get out. Still he managed to get up at lunch and went in search of Kate, finding her in the basement.

"Weight lifting?" he asked as he walked in.

"B5 gave me some parameters to use to increase muscle tone as part of my physical education class."

"Really!? Maybe we can work out together. I can also teach you a few things about how to defend yourself."

Kate stopped pumping iron and sat up straight to look at Rick. "Oh, that would be GREAT Rick!" He was willing to spend even more time with her and teach her!

"Of course, if you're going to be a Class One agent and go on missions with me, you need to learn."

Kate grinned and jumped up to crush Rick in a hug, however he held out his hands stopping her. "What?" That stung. He had _always_ wrapped his arms around her.

"You've been working out and you're stinky. I only came down here to find out if you wanted lunch."

Kate smiled; she stupidly jumped to conclusions. "I'll shower. You could wash me..." She ran her finger down his chest.

"Are you done with your class yet?" Rick asked, which soured her mood. "That's what I thought. I'll go change and join you." Her smile shone bright as she watched him walk away to go change. He could have just stripped and stayed as far as she was concerned.

She laid back down on the bench and was lifting weights on the machine. Rick came in wearing shorts, socks, and running shoes. He turned on the treadmill and started out slow.

She sat up, still lifting weights, as he sped up. Then she switched to using her legs to lift weights while she watched him run hard. Her eyes were on Rick as she watched his back and his legs as he pumped his arms. He was built and he was hers. She wanted him to be hers.

Kate was done and just stood next to him as he was running flat out. She definitely was enjoying the show. "Done with your class?" Rick questioned and turned off his machine. He felt her take his arm and walk him across the hall to the shower area where she stripped off her exercise clothes.

Soon she was in his arms kissing him while standing under the running water. They were clean and just standing under the water holding each other. Kate couldn't touch and feel enough of him. Her body was pressed up against him and her hands were searching his skin while her lips trailed kisses across his chest.

She didn't know where the tears came from till she felt them and wiped a few of them away. "Is something wrong?" She shook her head and buried it against his chest as her hands stopped roaming, but her tears didn't stop. "Something is wrong Kate." Rick lifted her head off his chest so he could look at her and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "What is it?"

Her tears only flowed faster and she forced her face into his chest. "I love you," she murmured and waited for the rejection she knew was coming.

Instead he crushed her in his arms. Rick moved her head off his chest and looked at her face. "I'm falling in love with you too." She wiped furiously at her tears. "Truly?" she said hopefully. Her heart felt exposed, waiting to either be crushed or to soar into the clouds.

"Did you really think that I could resist you? Save you, heal you, let you stay, and make love to you? Wrap my arms around you as we sleep in the same bed? Tell you all of my secrets? Trust you with Alexis and her heart? Suffer the wrath of your father?" The last one got Kate to laugh softly. "Did you really think love was a one way street?"

"I didn't… I wasn't… I love you _so much_ babe." Kate pulled his head down to her and crushed her lips against his. After she broke from the kiss, she hid her face on his chest as she wiped away her remaining tears. She had never felt like that before. It was like soaring and freedom.

"We should celebrate," he suggested.

Kate smiled. "I'll get the condom," she spoke into his chest, her words somewhat muffled. Rick chuckled. "Actually I was thinking of doing something more public."

Her heart started pounding. She was thinking of using her restraints and having some fun with him tied down to the bed. But having sex in public where they might get caught? For reasons she didn't understand that got her even more excited. "What have you got in mind babe?" Sitting in his lap while still completely clothed with Rick inside her? Or full on naked while she rode him? And wasn't it too cold outside for that?

"I was thinking of taking you someplace with lots of people where I could hold you tight and dance the night away while stealing kisses where everyone could see."

She lifted her head away from his chest and looked up at him. "Really!?" He wanted to show her off in public! "What were you thinking?" he queried. He knew she was thinking of something.

"It's silly." Kate shook her head and then saw the look on Rick's face. "I was thinking you wanted to have sex in a public place." Embarrassed, she hid her face back against his chest.

"Ooo, kinky. We'll just have to explore just how kinky Kate Beckett really is. Sex in public huh?" Rick started thinking about just where that could happen and how.

Kate's heart started pounding in her chest yet again. He hadn't run away when she told him she loved him. He wanted to show the public that they were in love. And he hadn't run away at her thought of having sex in a public space. She needed to talk with Madison and get ideas for even more kinky things to do. Now she really wanted to tie Rick to the bed. Maybe he would even do it to her.

"I haven't had my dance class yet," she reminded him. "Neither have I. Guess we both need dance classes first. I'll look into it." Rick kissed her head and held her tight. His heart was filled with joy. Kate loved him!

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"Rick...where is your mother currently?" She hadn't yet met her and Rick had been with her parents a lot.

"Mother? Last I knew she was in Sacramento, California. The production is working their way up to Seattle. After that I don't know what she has planned. I think she is hoping the show adds more cities to their schedule."

"I haven't met her yet and I'd really like to."

"I'll call Mother and have her get us a pair of tickets for her next show and we can teleport there."

Kate started smiling. "That would be great! Thank you!" She got up on tippy toes and kissed him.

They were both clean and dressed with Kate headed for B5 and her next high school class. "I'll be in my office making a few phone calls," Rick told Kate and gave her a quick kiss before going upstairs.

Kate took a deep breath and went into the kitchen to face B5 and her next class.

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"Hello Mother." Rick found her in her hotel room. "How are you and James doing?"

"We're divorced dear. Something about not wanting to live his life on the road. He knew I was an actress when he married me."

"I'm sorry Mother! I really should be there to help you. How are you holding up?" He could be there in a moment, but how would he explain to her how he did it?

"I'm fine Richard. It'll take more than a little divorce to keep a Rodgers woman down. We have a rehearsal to attend soon with new lines that need to be added. Keeping busy helps." Martha wasn't going to cry, not over a divorce. Besides it was divorce number two after all.

"That's part of why I'm calling. Kate has been asking about you again and I was wondering if you could hold some tickets for us. We could come out and see you for a few days."

Martha perked up instantly. "That would be marvelous darling. I'll arrange the tickets for our remainder of shows here in Sacramento. I'm really looking forward to meeting this Katherine of yours, and I'm still upset with you for not sending me a picture of her at the very least. And why am I the last to meet her?" She decided to give her son a little hell.

"We'll follow you to the next city, just tell me what city it is and I'll make reservations. Wait, I already have your itinerary, don't I?" He started searching for it. "Found it. Looks like Reno is next. Kate might like that city; I'll find out if she's been there. We'll meet you in Sacramento and then travel to Reno and stay for at least a week. I'll make hotel reservations and flight reservations now."

"You don't have to do all that dear. A couple of days here is enough."

"We're coming and going with you Mother; you deserve your time with Kate as much as her own parents do."

"How are Katherine and her parents working out, son? I can't imagine the pain of losing a child for 5 years only to find out that when she comes back that she doesn't remember you. And Katherine not remembering so much..." her voice trailed off. Martha's heart ached for all of them.

"Kate is slowly remembering more and more, but thankfully none of it is when she was held captive. Jim and Johanna are doing well with it all. Maybe I can get them to come out to Reno with us. I'll ask them after I talk to Kate."

"That would be great darling. I look forward to meeting everyone finally. So much has happened and I haven't been there for any of it. I'm so very sorry."

"You're an actress and a good one. You're doing what you love Mother. You're right where you're supposed to be. I'm still sorry about James though."

"Water under the bridge dear. I'll make sure there are tickets for you and Katherine for Sacramento and you and Katherine's parents for Reno." Martha started smiling, her family was coming to see her!


	22. Chapter 22

**CH22**

Kate was shaking or quaking, she wasn't sure which. Rick had told her about the plan to go see his mother in Sacramento and attend her show each night they were there. Now here she was packing her suitcase again since, as soon as they were ready, he was going to teleport them there.

 **SHE WAS GOING TO MEET RICK'S MOTHER!** Kate wondered if Rick had this many butterflies in his stomach when they went to see her parents.

He had arranged airfare and a hotel for her parents in Reno for three nights. Martha was going to be there for two weeks and so were they, Kate was told. However her parents could only swing 4 days off from work on such short notice. Their parents were about to meet each other! That was why she was so nervous.

"Ready to go?" Rick asked, walking into her room with Alexis right behind him.

Their hotel didn't accept pets so they were back to sneaking Alexis into their room. The plan was to put Alexis inside her plane carry-on bag and place it at the bottom of one of Kate's oversized hand bags.

"Almost. I just need my biggest purse to put Alexis in," she answered. That and a good stiff drink to calm her nerves. She put Alexis in her carrier. "Remember Alexis, you need to remain quiet until we get in our room." Kate closed up the carrier after Alexis walked inside.

"Meow. Meow." _I'll be a good cat. I expect fresh food for this indignity._

"We'll find you a farmer's market somewhere, it doesn't get any fresher than that," Kate promised, and carefully placed Alexis and her carrier into the bottom of her big purse along with the clutch that she was taking with her.

"All set." She stood up holding her big purse and suitcase, while Rick had his suitcase, laptop,and the bag that held Alexis's kitty litter and box. "Hold on tight," he warned her and did his best to press the gem embedded in his palm. In a swirl of clouds, they and everything else ended up around the corner of their hotel.

 _The Inn and Spa at Parkside_ in Sacramento

"Mr. and Mrs. Castle, welcome to The Inn and Spa at Parkside. We hope you enjoy your stay. We have a concierge service to help you find any dining recommendation you desire. You can also make use of our in-house award winning spa treatments." Rick felt Kate yank on his shirt at that one, which made him smile. "Once we figure out our free time I'm sure we'll put it to good use." Rick took the hint. "And it's Mr. Castle and Ms. Beckett." Kate speaks up.

"My apologies I just assumed." She felt bad about that, it just looked like they were together and maybe they just weren't married yet.

"There is a gourmet multi-course breakfast here in the Mansion each morning between 8:00 and 9:00. There is also a happy hour here in the Mansion between 5:00 and 6:00 each evening. If you have any questions, just ask."

"Here are your keys to the Dream Villa Spa Room. It is one of the two rooms on the third floor. The elevator is right over there. Enjoy your stay with us." She smiled nicely as they made their way to the elevator.

"Um Rick, our shower is bigger than this elevator," Kate pointed out when the door opened. He had to admit he had seen closets about that size. "I'll go first and wait for you on the 3rd floor," he offered. He squeezed inside and reached for the button for the 3rd floor.

After the elevator returned to the lobby, Kate squeezed herself and her luggage into the coffin-sized car and waited forever for it to reach the 3rd floor. "This thing is even slower than it is small," she announced when it opened on the 3rd floor.

Her eyes opened wide when she got into their room. It had a king-sized bed, a seating area that had a love seat, and a chair with a small table that had a lamp on it. There was a gas fired fireplace and dresser along with an armoire to hold her dresses. "It's very nice Rick."

She placed her purse on the bed and started extracting Alexis from the bottom of it and soon let her out to look around.

Rick went over to figure out how to turn on the fireplace while Kate took her toiletry bag out of her suitcase and walked into the bathroom. "RICK! We are so using this tub together!" she called from the bathroom. It was a deep jetted couple's tub. She just stood there imagining what they could do together in that tub.

While Rick was putting his toiletries in the bathroom, she checked out the bed. It was a four poster wooden bed a lot like the one they had at home. That told her she could use the restraint system to tie him to the bed while they were here since she had put the straps in her suitcase.

"When do we leave for the show again?" Kate knew when the show started but not when they planned on getting there. "Mother's show starts at 7:05 tonight, however, we are going to get there around 5:00," he answered from the bathroom. "5:00?" she questioned as he left the bathroom to start setting up Alexis's litter box.

"Mother is excited to meet you and when that happens she tends to forget things. So we may have to go in search of her to get our tickets, provided she remembered to reserve them in the first place."

"Rick, that's mean. You make her sound like she has Alzheimer's or something."

"Oh, it's nothing like that. It's just that when she gets excited about something, it's all she focuses on. She could forget to cash in a million dollar lottery ticket if something meant more to her. And meeting you and your parents means a lot to her." He went back into the bathroom.

All his comment did was put more butterflies in Kate's stomach. Still she managed to unpack for the week that they would be there. The only trick was hiding Alexis's litter box so it was out of sight when their room was going to be cleaned.

They made it downstairs and out to find a taxi with Alexis hidden away as they passed through the main room. It took them 45 minutes to get to the auditorium where the play was taking place thanks to rush hour traffic.

"We should have tickets waiting for us under Castle or Rodgers," Rick told the woman in the tiny ticket booth behind glass so thick it would take an RPG to penetrate it. "Here you go Mr. Castle, two tickets with two backstage passes. Just show the pass to one of the ushers and he'll escort you backstage. Make sure you wear it around your neck while you are back there," she advised them.

They were soon backstage with no trouble even though no one was being allowed in to take their seats since it was almost 2 hours until the show began. "Thank you. I know my way around a backstage," Rick told the usher when he offered to find whomever they came to see.

"I grew up backstage as my mother found work wherever she could find it. I didn't always live in what you call luxury comfort. I lived some of my little boy years in places where I had my own cockroach races. Don't get me wrong, Mother did her best to make sure we had food on the table and I always had gently used clothes to wear. I grew up back here," he explained after seeing the look on Kate's face. He turned to take her with him in search of the makeup department when she stopped him and kissed him, and since she was wearing heels for a change, it was easier for her. "I still love you," she told him as he returned her kiss.

She saw a few people walking around in costume and ready to go, along with a few people that were barely wearing anything, which made her look at Rick. He simply passed those two women by like they didn't exist. Kate hooked her arm around his to show all those women that he was taken.

Finally they walked into an area where three people were getting their makeup done with their costumes hanging nearby. "Mother." Rick stepped up close with Kate still holding onto his arm.

"RICHARD!" Martha knocked away the hands of the man who was working on her makeup, stood up, and enveloped him in her arms. Kate could swear that she saw the older woman blink back tears.

"Hello Mother." Rick hugged her back. Martha pulled back and gave him two kisses, one on each cheek. "Richard, it's so good to see you!" She hugged him again.

Martha soon let go of her son and turned to Kate. "You must be Katherine." The next thing Kate knew she was being hugged with a strength that belied Martha's thin physique. Martha also gave her a kiss on each cheek.

"I'm so happy to meet the woman who has stolen my son's stony heart. You're gorgeous dear, I can see what my son sees in you. We are going to have so much fun while you are here. I'm dying to meet your parents!" Martha stated. "And who is this?" She reached out to give Alexis a quick pet.

"This is my cat Mother."

"EVERYONE! THIS IS MY SON, RICHARD CASTLE, THE FAMOUS AUTHOR, AND HIS FIANCÉE. So if you want an autograph the line starts here," Martha yelled. "Mother!" "Martha!" Both of them tried to correct her. "I have to finish makeup and get dressed darlings. Please look around. And sign your name son, I'll catch up to both of you before the show starts." She went back to sitting down to let the makeup technician finish working on her face.

Rick backed up with Kate reattaching herself to his arm, both of their mouths hanging open. "Mother is…I mean, she's…" he wasn't sure what to say. Fortunately for him he was interrupted. "Richard Castle?" A crewmember came up with one of his books and a pen for him with which to sign. "I love your books," she gushed and watched Rick sign the book after asking her name. "Thank you!" She clutched it to her chest like it was made of gold and scampered off with her cherished treasure.

"Remind me again why you don't like to do book signings?" Kate asked as she watched the happy reader run off with her prize.

"You remember those woman who aren't wearing a bra and bend way down to make sure I get a good look at their assets?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about those." Kate admitted she didn't like those women. Still that woman almost made up for them.

He only had to provide his signature a few more times as he escorted Kate around the backstage area. "So you grew up back here," she commented, trying to picture a little Ricky running around the halls and rooms with people everywhere.

"I would sit on the floor at a place just like that one over there. I would either have my homework with me or a favorite book to read. Sometimes one of the stage crew or actresses would sit with me and talk to me. Mostly though I was left to myself. I would dream up all kinds of things I was going to do. Fireman, rescuing damsels in distress; policeman taking down some notorious criminal who had special powers; a CIA spy who could slip into any safe on the planet to steal the plans," he had dozens of them.

Kate wrapped her arms around him. "My own personal fireman, policeman, and CIA spy." She was alive because he had gotten his dreams to come true. He chuckled knowing what she meant. "I'm a lucky guy I guess." Even though it took a trip to another planet to get here. The aliens had tried to explain to him how those 8 years had never actually taken place, however he never really did understand how they could make time stand still.

"Yes, you are," she agreed and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him while toying with the little hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Meow!" _Don't crush the cat_ _!_ Kate almost jumped back but simply stepped back and reached for Alexis. "Sorry Alexis." Kate petted her the way she liked.

"Why did you tell your mother that Alexis was your cat?" Kate wondered and watched his face. "She doesn't know does she?"

"Mother only knows that Alexis was in the hospital and that she died there. She doesn't know anything about this Alexis or about me after that time. To her, Alexis died not quite 3 years ago."

She was still having trouble with the time difference and that she knew Alexis-the-cat was Alexis-the-little-girl while his mother did not.

"I'm going to screw up sometime while I'm with her Rick. I just know it! We're going to be around her for the next two weeks," she said worriedly. One week in Sacramento and one week of the three weeks that Martha would be in Reno.

Martha eventually found them. She was in full costume ready to go on stage. Kate watched her pose and then she excitedly told Kate, "I'm the grandmother and mother of my grandson. His parents died and I'm raising him to be king. There is all sorts of intrigue going on and I have to keep a handle on all of it while raising and training my son/grandson."

"This young man is going to show you to your seats. They're the best in the house I think. Come backstage after the show and we can plan what to do next."

"Won't you be tired and want to go to bed after this?" Kate didn't want to keep her up "Nonsense dear. It's not every day my son brings his fiancée to see me. Now go, go." Martha shooed them out and into their seats.

Kate was sitting next to Rick waiting for the show to start. "What did you tell your mother Rick?"

"I told her I was bringing you, my girlfriend, to come see her while she was working because you wanted to meet her and see what she did for a living."

"So why does she think you asked me to marry you?" Kate asked. Though she wasn't so adverse to the idea, just that it was still early in their relationship to be talking marriage.

"I have no idea. Welcome to the world of my mother!"

Kate was smiling through almost all of the show. Martha, it turned out, was in close to over half of the show, appearing each time they changed the background. It was kind of a tie between her, her son/grandson, and the bad guy.

She was just finishing removing her makeup when Rick and Kate caught up to her. Kate hugged her. "That was great Martha! Rick didn't tell me you were so talented!" She let go of Martha.

"Thank you dear, that's very kind of you to say. Thankfully our critics still like the show so we should get to finish our tour and then we'll see," Martha explained. "You should keep this one son," Martha said leaning towards Rick.

"Yes, Mother." He tried to roll his eyes like he had seen Kate and her mother do.

They found themselves at an all-night dinner that her mother seemed to frequent since she knew the waitress. "So how are you doing dear? My son told me what I think is only a little of what happened to you. I'm sure your parents are happy to have you home."

"I'm fine Mrs. Rodgers and my…" Kate was interrupted. "Call me Martha, dear. Only the producer and a few others call me Mrs. Rodgers. I prefer not to think that I'm that old."

"My parents are happy to have me back, yes…Martha," Kate remembered to add.

"I'm told you have some memory loss? That must be hard to deal with, not remembering some people but remembering other things."

"It was pretty bad at first. Rick has been a big help." Kate bumped him with her shoulder.

Suddenly the waitress showed up with their food. "Cats aren't allowed in here." They had been caught!

"Please, my son and his fiancée are here visiting while I'm still in the show. I haven't seen my son in months. Give us a break. We really are hungry." Their waitress thought about it as the plates in her hands grew heavier. "Just keep her under the table and don't do it again." She placed their plates on the table.

"Thank you," Kate told her. "Is this piece of fish cooked?" Kate pointed to the side of fish that was on her plate. It suddenly hit her why Kate had asked for raw fish. "I'll get you a spare plate." She left and came back with a small desert plate. "Can I get you anything else?"

"Thanks, we're fine," Rick responded. "Thank you dear," Martha called to her retreating back.

Kate forked the piece of fish off her plate, onto the desert plate, and placed it on the seat next to her so Alexis could eat.

"A cat Richard, really?" Martha hadn't considered her son as a cat person. She thought he was more of a dog person.

"Alexis is a nice cat Martha. Give her a chance and she'll prove it to you." Kate stood up for Alexis who was busy eating. Martha almost spat her food out and Kate covered her mouth with her hand. She hadn't meant to say Alexis's name. "You named your cat after…"

"Yes Mother, I did. And Alexis makes me happy; I needed someone." Rick countered sounding like his tears weren't far behind. Martha reached across the table and took his hand. "I know dear, I know. I watched her get sick month after month just like you did. And I'm still sorry I couldn't be there for you and her. She really was a sweet child."

"Meow." _Thank you grams._ "Alexis, shush. You'll get us thrown out." Kate chastised her. Alexis was all set to meow her apology when she decided against it and went back to eating her fish.

"I still can't believe Meredith. How could any mother be so cold to her own child? I have to wonder if she knew she had the marker in her DNA that caused Alexis's illness." Kate's head snapped around and she looked at Martha. "Why else would she talk about getting an abortion? Real actresses have children all the time and it doesn't destroy their career if they were any good to start with."

Kate was burning after this piece of news. She could still see Alexis when she was just a toddler, hooked up to machines just days or hours before death. Only in this case Alexis was picked up by aliens and turned into a cat so to speak. "I'll rip her eyes out," Kate hissed. "I think we're going to get along marvelously dear." Martha heard love for her dead granddaughter in Kate's voice, even though she hadn't even met her.

It was late so they went to their respective hotels and made arrangements to meet after Martha had a short meeting with the people associated with the show as was normal for each day. It was at 10:00 am and the show was at 7:05 pm.

Rick and Kate had tickets to see the production again. The same seats about 8 rows back, dead center - Martha's idea of the perfect seats.


	23. Chapter 23

**CH23**

Martha had rehearsals every other day that lasted for 3 hours each time, so their time with her was a bit limited. Still she did everything she could to make sure she was available and willing to go wherever Rick and Kate wanted to go.

They managed to squeeze in a trip to the California Automobile Museum. "OH MY, this takes me back." Martha was entranced as she wandered around the cars.

Ford Hardtop

Lincoln KB

Lincoln-Zephyr Town Car by Brunn

Plymouth Satellite

Kawasaki KZ1000 from the filming of _CHiPS_

Porsche 911SC

Ford Mustang LX convertible

March Indy Car

Lamborghini Countach 5000SQV

"OH, I think my father had one of these trucks!" Martha ran her fingers over it and tried to remember sitting in the front seat, barely seeing over the dashboard as they bounced down the dirt road to their house. "Are you alright Martha?" Kate put an arm around her. "I'm fine darling, it's just a memory I was sure I had forgotten." She waved Kate off and blinked back her tears. Martha hadn't thought of her parents for years. Seeing her fathers truck brought back a lot of memories. Not noticing that Kate had seen her tears, but had decided to keep silent and let Martha have her memory.

 _Dodge Pickup Truck_

"Ooo, now this is the car I always wanted." Rick ran his fingers down the side of it and envisioned himself behind the wheel running out in front down the road in some backwoods country road.

 _Pontiac Firebird Trans Am_

"I was sure I could drive better than Burt Reynolds did. Of course he was running from an overweight bonehead with an airhead of a son, so I suppose he could have done the same thing in a Pontiac station wagon," he mentioned. "Burt Reynolds huh? I suppose there was a girl involved in all of this?" Kate said sarcastically.

"Of course, the good guy always gets the girl. Which must make me a good guy since I got the girl." Rick's grin lit up his face as he teased Kate. "So I'm your girl now am I?" Kate teased back.

"Well, you are my fiancée after all," Rick said smiling. "We are so going to correct your mother about that Rick," she remarked.

"Does that mean you don't want to marry me?" he challenged. "It means no such thing! I've only just become your girlfriend and I'm not done having you try and woo me into marrying you," she countered though being Rick's wife was now on her mind. She honestly couldn't imagine marrying anyone else in her future.

He walked off smirking like he had just won a round. "Oh, you wait and see Rick, you just wait and see," she whispered to herself.

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Martha was traveling with the cast and crew to the next city leaving Rick and Kate to get there on their own. It was fine with them since they were teleporting there instead of flying. It was quicker, easier, and more cost effective and it made Alexis happy although they still had to feed her fresh fish when going on a trip.

Rick and Kate had made a compromise on where to stay in Reno. There were better hotels in Lake Tahoe, however Martha and the troop were staying in Reno where the show was taking place. So Rick booked the best room he could find in Reno so that they would be closer to Martha.

 _ **Atlantis Casino Resort Spa**_ _– Executive Jacuzzi room – King_ _-_ _sized bed in a separate bedroom, living room with a bar area, Bose Wave radio, Continental breakfast on the 25_ _th_ _floor, butler service, soaking Jacuzzi tub for two._

"The rooms in Lake Tahoe were better than this?" Kate was in awe. She saw Rick nod as he started unpacking and setting up Alexis's litter box, though she needed some new kitty litter. Kate just didn't see the need for better. They weren't going to live in their hotel room. They were only going to sleep there.

"Your parents should be here soon," he reminded her as they both hung up their clothes that needed to be cleaned while they were there. "We can check out laundry services while we wait for them downstairs," Kate suggested since she was wearing her last pair of clean panties, no thanks to Rick.

 _We go back in time two days_

They had been walking around a lovely nature preserve with Martha. She was out in front of them commenting on everything while carrying Alexis. Rick walked next to Kate. He was using his hands to play with her ass, running his hand up and down her back and toying with her bra clasp. When she stopped to look at something, he would step up behind her, wrap his arms around her, kiss her neck, and then his hands would wander their way up to her breasts.

"Babe, stop it." She really didn't want him to stop, but his mother was just up the trail. "But I want you," he murmured as he nuzzled her ear. "I want you too, but you're just going to have to wait," she said distractedly.

By the time they had made it to their hotel room after dropping Martha off at hers, Kate barely made it through the door when Rick attacked her. Both did what they could to get rid of each other's clothes as fast as they could.

She had gotten so wet by then she was sure the crotch of her jeans had a wet spot. It didn't help that he ripped them off her body, ruining them forever. Still Kate couldn't remember ever having been so desperate to have Rick. She wanted to do everything and she wanted to do it NOW!

 _Back to present time_

They listened to what the front desk had to say about their laundry service. "I'll go up, gather up our clothes, and make the call if you'll wait for my parents?" she asked.

This was another of the many hotels that didn't accept pets so they had been forced to leave Alexis behind in their room.

"Meow!" _I hate this_ _!_ Kate was greeted at the door by a complaining Alexis. She picked her up and kissed her head. "I'm sorry Alexis. There just aren't that many hotels that accept pets. If they find out you're in this room we'll get tossed out. Maybe I can talk my parents into sharing their room with you so that you get to be someplace different." Her parents were staying in the same hotel and were even on the same floor in a room exactly like theirs. "Meow. Meow." _That might be nice. Thank you._

She gathered up almost all of their clothes except for their clothes for tomorrow and stuffed them into the bag provided. Instead of leaving them at their door, she took them down to the laundry service herself. She was concerned that if left in the hall, they might lose all of their clothes to some thief.

She found her parents standing next to Rick. "KATIE!" Johanna had spotted her and she found herself in her mother's arms. "Hi Dad, how was your flight?" Kate asked after being hugged by her father as well. "It was long with a 2 hour layover," Johanna commented. "You two didn't have to get us 1st class seats, economy would have been fine." Johanna chastised the two of them for spending that kind of money. "You're Kate's parents. You deserve it and I have the money," Rick defended his actions.

"If you have a problem with your seats wait till you see your room," Kate smiled. "What have you done Katie?" Johanna glared at her. "Let's get you checked in so we can go meet Martha," Kate deflected.

As was typical Martha and the crew had the first two days off in a new city while their sets were set up and tested before having their first rehearsal. Their first show would be presented the next day, so Martha was going to be with them all day today and tomorrow. "I'm looking forward to it." Johanna was all smiles.

"I've accepted a new case when we get back home," Johanna announced in the elevator up to their room. "I thought you worked for the same company as dad and had your assignments given to you like dad does," Kate said perplexed.

"I do and I'm still working part time with him at the law firm. However on my off days I've decided to start testing the waters with the goal of opening my own practice like I had before you disappeared," Johanna happily shared her good news; it was something she really wanted to do.

"That's great Mom! What's your first case about?" Kate was curious, since she had learned from her parents what had happened to them after she had been taken. Listening to their pain had hurt her heart. She still didn't remember much of her past with or without them, but every day they felt more and more like parents.

"A man named Pulgotti. Seems he was arrested for a murder that he swears he didn't commit. Oh, he was also connected with the mob," she explained in generalities. "Isn't that what they all say Mom? And a mob member? Seriously!?" Couldn't her mother have found a different case?

"He may be guilty of other things, but I'm not so sure about this murder," Johanna defended her choice of case. "And you let her do this dad?" Kate went looking for some support. "It's my case on my off hours," Johanna cut Jim off at the pass, again.

They were letting Jim and Johanna into their room when Rick felt one of his fingers pulsing which told him that B5 wanted to talk to him.

"This isn't a room it's a house!" Johanna looked around from just inside the door. "I'll bet it even has a kitchen. We only need a bed to sleep in you two." She knew it was too much room.

"You should have seen Rick's first choice over in Lake Tahoe," Kate pointed out.

"Well, I for one like it. Lots of room to spread out. There's even a bar!" Jim liked it a lot. "We are not here to get drunk Jim." Johanna tried to get him over to her side. "I'm going to unpack while you complain to our daughter and her boyfriend about spending too much money." Jim removed himself from the conversation.

"Kate and I need to go check on Alexis and figure out how to smuggle her out of the hotel when we leave to meet my mother." Rick took Kate's hand and left Johanna to help her husband unpack.

"What are you doing Rick? We already have everything planned out." She didn't understand what was happening. He took Kate's hand and walked down the hall to their room. He wrapped her other hand around his finger. "Feel that?" he asked. She could feel a light pounding in his finger, like feeling his pulse through his finger. "Is it malfunctioning?" If it was he had to go home and go into the medical bed.

"I'm fine. That's B5's signal that she needs to talk to me," Rick explained as he unlocked their door.

"Now is not a good time for a mission." She really wanted to spend the week with their parents. "Missions are more important, but let's find out what she has to say first," he suggested as he closed and locked the door behind them.

Kate picked up Alexis who had greeted them at the door while Rick walked to the largest blank wall. He pointed his finger at it and watched the wall light up looking like B5's array at home. "What have you got B5?" he queried.

"You have walked into your next mission. Monitoring your conversation with Katherine's parents indicates that she has agreed to look into the case of one Joe Pulgotti. He used to be a mafia enforcer and was being monitored by this planet's FBI. He was involved in a death along with a John Raglan of the NYPD, since retired; a Gary MacCallister, also a detective of the NYPD, since retired; a Roy Montgomery who is presently Captain of the 12th precinct and is employed by the NYPD," B5 related.

"So what's the mission?" Kate shook her head not understanding how any of that affected them.

"Information indicates that the Earth is destroyed during a nuclear exchange between several nations. Typically only Presidents, Prime Ministers or leaders have the authority to launch. It is suspected that the United States started it. The mission is to prevent him from becoming President and take down the people associated with him," B5 responded.

"So tell us who it is and we'll make a laughing stock of him so that the voters don't vote for him. Mission accomplished." Kate raised her hands in victory.

"It doesn't work that way Kate. B5 gets her information from a download from our friendly aliens who are looking into this planet's future. They only see events that far into the future, not the actual people who are involved. In this case they know America pushes the button that leads to the annihilation of the planet."

"That's not fair!" Kate moaned. "Wait! How did you find me?"

"I was given the task of stopping a missile launch from North Korea and to make it so that it appeared that the design was at fault, not because of espionage. I was given a location of the rocket, where the rocket was designed, and where the lead scientist was likely living. It was my good fortune that I found you in that house," Rick explained, which earned him a kiss.

"So we don't know who is going to blow up the planet. Just what does that have to do with my mother and her case? If they can't see who it is, why can they see that?"

"For each event there is a starting location that they can trace it all back to. In this case, what happened to Pulgotti is as close as they can come to the beginning that takes place in this point in time," B5 explained.

"Time? We get missions in this time frame because we are here. Rick is here. What happens if there is a mission 100 years from now? Do they send someone to replace Rick?" Kate didn't think she was going to like the answer.

"No replacement is necessary," B5 stated. Kate turned to Rick while still holding Alexis.

"Alexis and I will still be here a hundred years from now. Probably more like 200 years," Rick admitted.

"I'll be dead long before 200 years from now. I'll lose you." Kate dropped into a chair and looked so very lost as her tears began. They were only just getting started and she now knew Rick would probably live for more than a century after she was gone. They weren't even married yet. Hadn't even had children together. "I'll lose you." All Kate could see was the end of her future.

Rick got down on his knees and took her hands. "You'll live a long and happy life still," he tried to point out. Kate only saw the loss of everything she cherished. "I love you and I'm going to lose you. I don't want to lose you." She fell out of her chair and landed on her knees. Alexis jumped away from her just in time. Kate ended up in Rick's arms, weeping on his shoulder.

"Please! I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you." Kate offered up her heart to Rick.

"Meow." _Tell her_ _, D_ _ad._

She wiped away some of her tears and looked at him.

"Meow!" _Tell her_ _, D_ _ad!_

"There is a way Kate, but it will be hard and you will be doing it alone, all alone," he looked Rick in the eyes. "Anything. I'll do anything." She didn't want to lose him, not if she could help it.

He stood up and took Kate with him. "We need to go home first. B5?" Rick asked her, even though the visual of her was gone when Rick moved his finger.

"Request submitted," B5 informed him.

"Hold down the fort Alexis, we'll be right back." To him and Alexis they would be right back, just not from Kate's point of view.

"MEOW. MEOW!" _Always remember Kate. I love you and I want to keep you_ _!_

Kate looked at her, perplexed, as Rick took her arm and pressed the gem embedded in his hand. They were back home in his office. "Why are we here and what about our parents?" Kate asked, confused.

"I need to give you something that I hope will help you." Rick sat down at his desk and started searching on something.

"What are you doing?" she asked, and watched him suddenly disappear in a swirl of clouds after pressing his gem. "RICK!" she cried. But he was already gone. Kate was still sitting in his office over an hour later when he showed up in a swirl of translucent white. "RICK!" She jumped up and flew into his arms. "Where did you go?"

He took something off his desk along with something he had in his hand. "Back down to the kitchen," he told her and they ended up taking the elevator this time. "Rick?" Kate was quite bewildered as she looked at B5, an abundance of lights blinking on her panel.

"Katherine has been accepted based on one condition," B5 announced.

"You don't want to lose me and I don't really want to lose you either, so there is only one way for this to work. There is, however, a condition for this to work." Rick could feel his heart trying to pound out of his chest. There was a time when he was so sure this would never happen again. Certainly not because he actually loved her. He never did really love Meredith.

Rick was suddenly down on one knee. "There is one condition. Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you do me the honor of marrying me?" Rick held up the ring he had jumped out to purchase. He wasn't even sure if it would fit her finger. He didn't have the time to find out.

Kate's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock as she looked down at the man she loved holding an engagement ring. Tears quickly followed as she covered her mouth with her hands.

 _Platinum Twin Pave Cross over Diamond Engagement Ring with a 4.22 Carat D-IF Marquise cut Diamond. Twin Pave Cross over has 56 diamonds of 0.28 Carat weight, Average color of F-G with a clarity between VS3 and S11. Diamond of 5.22 Carats, Color of D, Clarity of IF, Very good polish, Very good Symmetry._

"The aliens have accepted you. They will take you and train you and send you back to me. But this only works if we are husband and wife. You need to know, Kate, that this will take 8 years just like it took me. They will do to your arms what they did to mine. The 8 years will take place for you. However to me, Alexis, and everyone else, you will be gone one second and back the next."

"There will be no contact between us except for this." Rick held up his other hand that held a flash drive. "Grant talked me into doing an audio of my latest book. I used my voice and recorded it over and over again. It comes out for sale in about 3 months. This is my copy of the final product. It will allow you to at least hear my voice over the next 8 of your years."

"You won't age any of those 8 years any more than I did. You are 20 years old now and you will be 20 years old when you come back. But it will be a new you when you come back. You will grow up in those 8 years and you will be different, essentially a 23 year old woman in a 20 year old body. Much like my 33 year old me in a 26 year old body."

"You said anything Kate, and this is what it takes." Rick was still down on one knee holding up both items.


	24. Chapter 24

**CH24**

Kate was still crying through her hands. "Will I lose you?" She meant die long before Rick did."No, not unless you want to," Rick replied not understanding what she had meant. Kate was on her knees and in his arms crying even harder. She finally backed up and held out her left hand. She shook it since Rick was taking too long to put her ring on her finger. He slid the ring onto her finger. "It's gorgeous!" She stared at it for a minute and then went back to crushing him in her arms. "I love you. So what's next?"

"Here take this, they have a way that will allow you to play it. Hopefully it will help. You're sure about this? You're going to be alone for 8 years except for them and it isn't going to be easy on you," he warned her again.

"I want you Rick and I'm going to keep you." He chuckled. "Now you sound like Alexis." He stood them both up and kissed her for all he was worth. "Play it, listen to it when things get rough, and remember, Alexis loves you and expects you to come back to us." He let go of Kate and stepped back. "And I love you with all my heart. Please come back," Rick told her and watched her start to cry again just as she disappeared in a swirl of smokey clouds.

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Kate didn't know where she was and nothing made sense. The room she was in, if it even was a room, was all white. She was standing on something, she was guessing, except it looked like everything else.

She started wiping her tears away as she looked around. "Rick said he loved me. He told me he loved me." She looked down at the engagement ring on her finger and the flash drive in her hand. Except for the clothes she was wearing there was nothing else there.

"He loves me." Her tears started up again. She slowed her breathing to help calm back down. Kate was all set to call out when she saw a short column of swirling clouds. What it left behind had her shocked and a little scared. It was hard to describe. It looked like a slimy, pinkish, purplish octopus-type creature that was standing on three of its tentacles while three more tentacles were softly flapping around it. The very center had a nasty looking beak while above it on stalks were what she guessed were a pair of eyes.

"Greetings Katherine Houghton Beckett. My name is not pronounceable by your kind; however if it helps, you can call me Key. I will be one of your trainers while you stay with us."

"How am I hearing you? Your mouth, if that's what it is, never moved," she questioned.

"You will work it out. Please come with me." Key somehow slid across the floor in a way that Kate was trying to work out. As Key moved, a section of the white nothingness disappeared and showed the outside. She walked up to it and watched as what she thought was a glass wall slide off to one side. A powerful wind hit her in the face. "This is our planet. It is made up of mostly all water where my race lives. Living in your environment is difficult on my kind and is restricted. Our air is cleaner than you are used to which will account for part of how you are presently feeling. Also there is a storm coming that will reach here in about 6 of your hours." A tentacle pointed to a rolling dark cloud area that looked to be coming this way.

Key went back inside with Kate following. She could see and hear the glass doors closing behind her. "This is where you will be living while you stay with us. What do you want it to look like? What do you want in your perfect apartment?"

"My perfect apartment. …You're the aliens that taught Rick aren't you?" Kate needed to be sure. "Richard Castle and his daughter Alexis. Your fiancé and your daughter. Yes, I personally was involved."

Kate suddenly started seeing furniture showing up. Sofa, loveseat, 2 high back chairs, coffee table, end table with a lamp, a round dining room table that could seat 4 people. An open kitchen with a large curved island that had a sink in it. Double oven in a wall. Range top that matched the one at home. A large refrigerator/freezer with ice and water dispenser.

A rug appeared beneath her dining room table. A door materialized that was open and showed a bedroom with a giant bed, dresser and 2 end tables. A door that lead into a walk-in closet that was filled with clothes that were all her size. Another door appeared that lead to a bathroom. It had a double sink in a floating vanity, a large and deep tub with Jacuzzi jets and a walk-in shower with heads everywhere.

She walked back out into the living room and a stereo system with speakers all around materialized along with a large 60" TV that had equipment on shelves below it. Then one wall turned into a wall of books. And pictures and sculptures began showing up.

She was smiling since as she thought it up, it happened. Then one of the walls changed colors twice til the accent wall was just the color she wanted. "Anything else?" Key asked. And walked or glided back into her bedroom and then into the bathroom again with Kate right behind her.

One wall disappeared and a long, narrow lap pool with a hot tub on one end suddenly showed up. Kate stepped out near the pool and looked around and saw a new door show up which got her to open it.

Inside was an exercise room a lot like the one back home. That got Kate to think. She ran back out into the living room as she watched the deck beyond the wall of windows expand out over the water with a large greenhouse on each side.

She turned to Key and was still smiling. "How do I...?" she wondered which got her back into the bathroom where she found a new door that had large stacked washer and dryer behind it.

"This is amazing!"

"Anything else?" Key asked since this was her one chance. Kate held up her flash drive. "How do I...?" She watched Key glide back into the living room and over to the rack of stereo equipment that suddenly had a lap top sitting on top of it all.

"Become accustomed to your new space. Tomorrow we start work," Key said and disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

"I should have asked for one of Rick's shirts that he had worn." She looked around. "Eight years? …But I love him." Kate talked to herself and walked into the kitchen to find what there was.

What she found was fresh produce, fruit, milk, wine, beer, soda, and a number of other things. Opening the freezer she found frozen chicken, steaks, ground turkey, orange juice and frozen vegetables. Her kitchen had countless items. Toaster, microwave, mixer, pasta maker, bread machine, crock pot. Lots of pots, pans, dishes, glasses, silverware. Her pantry had cans of anything she could possibly desire. There was also pasta, flour, sugar, brown sugar and still more items.

"So long as they replenish all this I'm not going to starve." She walked outside and got hit with a hard wind and no sunshine. That storm was definitely headed this way.

Kate found nothing but fruit and vegetable plants in her greenhouses along with live herbs. "Where's Rick when you need him." She didn't have his cooking skills. All she had was what her mother had taught her.

Next she ran her fingers over the books on her shelves. "Richard Castle!" She pulled down one of his books. She could read his words! She put the book back in place, walked over to her laptop, and found that it was already connected to the stereo system. Kate plugged in her flash drive and looked at it. It had his latest Derek Storm book on it as an audio file. "Bless you Rick!"

She was tempted to listen to it now but closed the window instead. "I need to be careful. … Eight years is a long, long time."

She found the remote for the TV, video player, and the other pieces of equipment. Kate turned on the TV but got nothing. "Movies only I guess." It made sense since she was who knew how far away from home.

She decided to get out of her heels and clothes and into something a lot more comfortable. She walked into the bedroom while stripping off her clothes and started looking for a hamper to throw them into.

Walking over to the dresser to get a tee shirt and yoga pants, Kate saw a dress shirt that she didn't remember laying on the bed. She held it up and found that it was too big for her so she buried her nose into it and breathed in "It smells like Rick!" She started blinking back tears. "Thank you!" she told the ceiling and prayed that when it stopped smelling like Rick she would get a new one to replace it. She would be sleeping alone in a bed without Rick's arms around her; she at least had his scent to comfort her.

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Kate laid Rick's shirt out on her bed after she got up and took a shower. She got dressed casually and was sitting at her large curved breakfast bar snacking on fruit when a short column of swirling clouds left an octopus behind. "Key, I'm guessing?"

"Finish your fruit or put it away and come with me," Key told her. She popped a piece in her mouth and put the rest in the refrigerator. "Ready." Kate and Key disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

"Step inside and try to keep up with the treadmill. We are going to get a base reading on your body as it is today so we can determine what needs improvement and by how much." Key explained as Kate looked around and saw three others that look remarkably like Key. Enough so that she didn't see the difference.

She emerged sweaty and huffing and puffing, barely able to stand. They had practically run her into the ground. Next they had her lifting weights while trying to find out just how much she could lift and pull. After that she got into a tub. "This will tell us your fat to muscle ratio and what we need to do to adjust it."

She was dropped off at home, but she didn't know how much later. She had no watch since they had taken it from her and her apartment didn't have a clock. She was sure her legs and arms were going to fall off. "Tomorrow is medical," Key said and disappeared.

Kate made it as far as the sofa and crashed. She woke up not knowing how many hours had passed and heard her stomach growling. With no clock, she didn't know if it was time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

She pulled out a steak, a baking potato, and some asparagus. "Look Alexis, I'm having steak. I might even have enough to serve you one whole meal." She smiled to herself. It was amusing to find out just what Alexis thought was a single meal while in tiger form.

She turned on the stereo system and found that she had a huge list of things she could listen to. She decided to start out with Reggae. She pulled down one of Rick's books and started reading til she was sleepy and went to bed.

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She was stepping out of the shower when Key showed up. "Don't bother getting dressed," Key told her and they both disappeared. Kate was soon poked, prodded, and had things she had never seen before go up her nose, in her ears, down her throat, in her eyes, up her ass, and into her vagina.

Then they started taking samples. Hair, skin, muscle, nails, heart, liver, kidneys, whatever they could think of... They took tiny pieces which left her tired and in a minor amount of pain similar to having paper cuts everywhere. A search of her bathroom found something that was marked for pain so she took two and went into the kitchen to make a sandwich after turning on her stereo system.

 **It is now one year later:** ( Not that Kate was aware of it )

She groaned and rolled out of bed. Rick had said it was difficult but he never mentioned all of the pain that was associated with it. She had asked Key any number of questions about what they were doing. Mostly all she got was they were trying to determine how best to address the needs of her body and how to improve them.

Today, whatever today was, was going to be more of the same. Kate didn't know how long they had been giving her shots and had connected her to a machine that cycled the blood out of her body. It did things to her blood and pumped it right back in. She had noticed that after every time they did that, she felt a lot better.

The next day was filled with pain as they ran her into the ground, got her to pump more and more weights. They had even started her swimming and told her to begin using the pool in her room more often along with the hot tub.

She finished her shower and simply walked naked over to her pool and started doing laps. She did laps until she was tired of doing them. She didn't notice that she wasn't physically tired, only that she didn't want to do laps any longer, so she moved to the hot tub and let the hot water and bubbles soothe away some of her aches and pains.

Then Key showed up. "Don't bother getting dressed," Key told her and they disappeared in a swirl of clouds. Today turned out to be hand to hand combat practice again. Starting with exercise, punching, and kicking of a bag that registered the power of each punch and kick. Today, however, she was given a construct, much like what Alexis was, to be her opponent.

Kate had already come home black and blue which turned into a multitude of other colors as she groaned and complained, ending up in medical the next day. She had her blood cleaned again along with having injections of some kind that they said would improve her body.

Today there was a different opponent. This one looked a lot like the first one except this one was a little bigger and had three big arms instead of just the two. She was given hints on how to combat it and was returned home battered and bruised.

She took a pair of pain pills, grabbed Rick's shirt that somehow still smelled like him, curled up, and cried herself to sleep. In her mind that night Rick made love to her again. He talked to her and held her close, except his face was fading and his voice sounded funny.

She woke up still sore and in a little pain, not feeling any better. After a shower and dressing casually so that nothing rubbed up against her bruises, Kate turned on her laptop and activated the audio file, continuing from where she had left off last time. She leaned back on her sofa and listened to Rick's voice tell her what was happening to Derek Storm. "I love you Rick and god, I miss you." She laid down on the sofa and let his voice surround her.

 **It is now the start of year two:** ( Not that Kate knew )

Kate was doing laps naked when Key showed up in front of her. "Time to go to medical." She found herself on a bed in an unfamiliar room. "What's up?" she asked as she watched several of them gliding around. Including Key there were another five of them, which was new. She had never seen so many of them in the same place at the same time.

"We're going to remove your arms today, attach your artificial replacements, and begin physical training to teach you how to use them. Until you have learned how to use them properly we will feed you intravenously instead of allowing you to feed yourself. All of your training up to this point has been to prepare your body for this change so that your body does not reject the new arms," Key informed her.

Kate's heart rate elevated quickly and it had two of them hustling around a little faster. "You will be fine Katherine Beckett. These are the same arms that Richard Castle is wearing at this time," Key explained. "You're making me like Rick." Her heartbeat slowed down little by little.

"Correct. After you have learned how to use your new arms at the same level as your previous arms, we will begin to teach you how to access and use the special features that are built into them."

"You're going to turn me into a Class One Supervisor like Rick." Kate thought she understood.

"Correct," Key told her. "Can there be more than one class one supervisor on a planet?" Kate questioned, fearful that they were going to take Rick away from her.

"Normally no, however you two can remain on the same planet if you are husband and wife. You and Richard Castle are engaged to be married. Once you are returned to your planet you will have one of your years to be legally married on your planet." One year to marry Rick. Hell after 8 years without him they were going to get married while they were in Reno while their parents were still with them!

"When I go back when will it be?" she asked. "It will be one second after you left. To everyone on your planet it will be as if you never left," Key replied as someone encased her in a dome of glass.

"Don't lose my ring!" Kate wanted her engagement ring back. It was precious to her because Rick had given it to her. "It will be on your new hand when you wake."

She went to sleep not knowing what to expect.

 **It is now the start of year three:** ( Not that Kate knew it )

Kate didn't know it and Key didn't tell her but she had awakened several times after the operation to remove her arms, attach the new ones, and run tests to make sure all of the connections had been completed. She finally stayed awake long enough to notice that her legs had tubes sticking out of them and she was still naked, which was a little disconcerting. "What…?"

"Your arms are presently attached and we have tested everything. The tubes in your legs are there to monitor your blood and provide your body the nutrients it needs. You will be here for several weeks," Key apprised her and watched her go back to sleep.

Weeks later Key teleported them to Kate's bedroom, helped her into the shower, washed and dried her, and then put her into her bed. "Your physical therapist will be here shortly to help learn how to use your new arms. At present only your arms motor skills are active. All of the other functions have been disabled for now. Once you can use your arms properly, we will teach you what each finger is capable of doing one by one," Key informed her and disappeared.

Just like in their medical area, her arms felt like dead weights as they rested on the bed next to her. She lifted her head so she could look down on them. She did her best to try and get even a finger to move and got nothing. "Oh come on, damn it. I used to know how to move my damn finger," she cursed at her stupid finger, which wasn't hers anymore.

"That's because your mind and body are used to connections that you learned to use when you were a baby, which is what you are now again. A baby," a voice called out from an alien that Kate hadn't seen arrive. "I'm here to change all that."

Twice a day, day after day, her physical therapist showed up and stimulated her connections to show her that she was connected to them. She just had to learn how to find those connections and how to use them. She felt like a baby when she had to use the bathroom the first time with no arms to help get her out of bed, or wash herself, or dry herself, or even use the toilet. The best part of her alien toilet was that it cleaned her too. However she had to let her physical therapist to hand feed her, just like a baby.

There was also one other problem. Since she couldn't make love to Rick, she had been using his dress shirt that had never lost his scent and the audio recording of his book while she masturbated. Now her stupid arms refused to move. "DAMN IT! I JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO RICK!" Kate broke down for the longest time since she had been there.

His lips, his hands. To feel him inside her. "I just want…" she stopped talking when one of her hands was suddenly on her breast. How had that happened?

 **It is now the start of year four:** ( Though Kate still had no idea )

She had learned the hard way that her hands and arms were just like the real thing. She had sliced her finger open while cutting up vegetables and watched as a white fluid came pumping out. She also found out that the fluid in her arms tasted terrible, since her natural reaction from the pain of cutting her finger was to put it in her mouth. As she had been taught, she hit the emergency button and found herself in the medical area immediately where she had her finger repaired.

The next time was when something in a pot on the stove top had gone pop and landed on her arm burning her. A quick trip to the medical area and that was repaired too.

Kate had also learned that her finger tips could feel everything. She could feel her erect nipples, the soft skin of her body, and the feel of the folds of her core. As well as the cold of ice and the heat of her tea. She didn't get to have coffee.

Her physical therapy was progressing nicely as far as she was concerned. She had been cleared to go back to using her exercise room and was lifting more weights than she ever had before. Her strokes while swimming were stronger and she was doing far more laps than she ever had before. While she was breathing heavily, it wasn't anything like it had been previous to her surgery.

By now she had played the audio of Rick's book so much that she almost had each and every word memorized. Kate found herself lying naked on her sofa while her fingers did marvelous things as she listened to Rick talk to her, her face covered by his dress shirt that allowed her to smell him. It helped but it just wasn't enough anymore. She missed Rick desperately. It wasn't only the sex; she missed having him to talk to, to hold her close. She also missed his cooking and missed ALEXIS. "Meow sweetie."

Her routine was the same - physical therapy, exercise using her arms and hands, eating, watching movies, listening to her music. Picking her fruit and vegetables from her greenhouse. Even sitting outside looking at the alien sky that was vastly different. For one thing there were two moons and one of them was really close and on most sunsets and sunrises the sky would be filled with various colors of purple clouds. To Kate it was beautiful to watch.

 **It is now the start of year five:** ( Kate still had no concept of time's passage )

As usual she asked how long she has been here. Her stereo system told her nothing. Even her laptop told her nothing. The clock seemed to be working but it never seemed to be right when she looked outside. The date kept changing but it was also blinking at her and her calendar told her today was every day of the month.

Today however, there was a change. "You are progressing well Katherine. Today you will begin your hand to hand combat training again, this time with your new arms. We will start with the simulation with a three armed opponent," Key informed her. Kate moaned. That guy had always gotten the best of her. It was that damn third arm that always got her. Today, after 2 hours of hand to hand combat, she was leaning over with her hands on her knees and was breathing hard. But her three armed nemesis was lying on the ground and not getting up.

That continued day after day with combat locations which varied each time. High up, deep underground. Building after building. Housing, construction locations with scaffolding. Docks, fighting on ships, fighting on planes when she was just a passenger. Being in a car wreck and chasing down the guy who crashed into her. She also spent a lot of time in the medical area having this and that repaired. Along with lots of hours in her Jacuzzi.

"When do I get to fight with weapons?" she asked after dropping three, three armed opponents during the same attack. "You don't. Weapons are not to be used. You are forbidden from using any that you acquire even if they belonged to the enemy. Soon we will begin teaching you how to use your fingers instead," Key told her. "Fingers?" She held up her hand. Her thoughts immediately went back to when she had rescued Rick in China. Rick had cut himself down somehow, maybe she was about to find out how he did that.

"Next combat level," Key called out and Kate was in yet another space. This time it was a jungle that was more swamp. As if the three armed guys weren't bad enough, this place had mutant alligators that almost took off one of her legs.

 **It is now the beginning of year six:** ( Kate was still unaware of how long she'd been there )

"We are going to simulate one of Richard latest missions only this time you are going to complete it. In this mission the Russians have developed a special drive for their submarines. It will allow their ballistic missile submarines to evade detection of their approach to the shoreline of the United States. At that range, the United States will have less than 10 minutes to determine the size and strength of the attack, as well as who is attacking and decide on a counter measure. One of these options is to launch every ballistic missile they have resulting in the destruction of your planet."

"Here are the parameters for you to study. You have 6 hours to study the information provided and decide on a course of action. In this scenario Richard used two of the functions of the one finger you have been practicing with," Key said and handed over the pad that had her information.

She began reading. Sabotage the research data that made it look like the drive was a failure. Also go on a working submarine that had the drive installed and was presently at sea below the waves. "This is not fair, Rick was a guy on a submarine filled with guys!" she moaned.

She came back from her mission and Key's coloration told her it didn't go well. Kate did learn a few things. Her long legs and cleavage did things to men that turned them into brain dead morons. At least for a few seconds. Still getting around in a submarine as a woman was just as difficult as she thought it would be. "I know, I do it again tomorrow until I figure it out." Kate hung her head at her defeat.

 **It is now the beginning of year seven:** ( Kate, for a change, thought her time was coming closer to the end )

She didn't count the number of times it took her to complete the mission successfully. No, that was a lie, at least a little one. She had started counting but had stopped counting when it became uncomfortable to keep count. Key however never said a word about how long it took her. Kate still didn't know how many times it took her and Key didn't offer anything. Just kept having her do it over and over again.

Eventually Kate became familiar with everything her fingers could do and she used each of them several times.

Scanning for alarm systems.

Remote detection and detonation of land mines.

Unlocking a holding cell door.

To open an electronic door.

Creation of a spark of fire.

Open electronic locks.

As conventional screwdriver, on large, flathead screw.

Unbolting a door.

Fusing shut a sliding door.

Opening and closing an elevator door.

Detecting booby-traps.

Breaking a hypnotic trance.

Opening a refinery door.

Remotely detonating mines.

Cutting locks.

Undoing screws.

Repairing wires chewed by an animal.

Fixing a circle of transmat refractors.

Sabotaging a two-way radio.

Shattering crystals.

Safe-cracking.

Creating a temporary hole in a force field.

Unlocking multi-levered interlock.

Disarming fusion bombs by reversing the polarity of the neutron-flow.

Creating a piercing loud noise to prevent security cameras from picking on a conversation.

Reversing the magnetic field.

Short-circuiting androids.

Used as a component in the delta wave augmenter, to induce sleep.

Temporarily disabling an electron bomb.

Subduing hostile dogs.

Disrupting the control signal for floating magnetic discs.

Jamming motion-sensitive sensors.

Tracking residual energy traces.

Reactivating a long-dormant telegraph machine.

Weakening a stone wall by weakening the molecular bonds between atoms.

Scanning for life signs.

Fixing a train track.

Tampering with a computer.

Unlocking handcuffs.

Access information from a terminal.

Fusing the lock of a metal door.

Opening air-tight seals.

Bypassing and turning off security systems.

Destroying a security camera.

Acting as a medical scanner and diagnostic tool.

Dislodging and reinserting teeth.

Detecting and stopping telepathic signals.

Scanning a life form for information.

Detecting heated water.

Tracing distress signals.

Establishing an interface with a computer.

Controlling a lift.

Getting money from a cash machine, at both regular and extra-high rates of ejection.

Destroying a television camera.

Searching a phone for an app or a feature.

Setting up a resonation pattern in concrete.

Corroding thin metal.

Lighting a candle.

Cutting rope.

As a sonic toothbrush.

Shattering ice.

Scanning an infection.

Exploding lightbulbs.

Hacking into computer records.

Amplifying an electrical beam.

To increase a signal's strength.

Tracking a radiation signal.

It had taken her a lot of time to learn what her fingers could do and that it didn't seem to matter what finger you used. It was all stored in each of her arms. And not 50/50 but 100/100.

Kate had changed a lot too. She came in a 15 year old child who thought that she loved Rick and that was why she had done this. Now she was a woman who had finished her high school classes. She had 2 years of law school under her belt along with 2 years of criminal justice. In addition she had 2 years of Information Technology.

Today's Kate Beckett was a different Kate Beckett, however, there was still one constant in her mind and heart. Key suddenly showed up. "Katherine Houghton Beckett, please put on the clothes you came to us in."

"May I ask why?" she inquired. She was different now.

"Your training is complete and it is time for you to go back to your planet. You have been assigned to EARTH." Kate held both hands over her mouth and stared at Key. She started crying and walked over to her/it with the intention of hugging her/it and even tried, but just ended up keeping her arms to herself. "The sooner you change the sooner you can leave," Key said which got Kate running for her bedroom.

She came back out quickly dressed in what she had arrived wearing. "Do not disappoint us Katherine Beckett," Key warned and watched a crying Kate shake her head. "You are now a Class One Supervisor #202. Richard's and now your AI unit will respond to your commands."

"You have been with us for exactly 7 years, 7 months, 14 days, and 2 hours. When you arrive back on Earth it will be one second later after you left. Say hello to Richard for me, it has been my privilege to train each of you." Kate's eyes widened, she hadn't known that and hadn't expected that today would be the day she returned home to Rick. She disappeared in a swirl of twisting clouds.

The second Kate was gone, Key teleported out. The furnished room was gone one second later. Everything except for one little flash drive that was lying on a white floor. A well-used hundreds-of-times-over flash drive.


	25. Chapter 25

**CH25**

The years explained. Kate was a 15 year old person in a 20 year old body. Kate has spent the last 8 years of her life with the aliens. (rounding up to make things easier). 15 + 8 = 23. Since Kate's body didn't age those 8 years she is now a 23 year old woman inside a real 20 year old body.

To Kate she feels somewhere between 15 and 23 since she has still lost 5 years of her life. 5 years of experience that she still doesn't have. People looking at them will see a 26 year old Rick and a 20 year old Kate.

Clear as mud?

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Rick watched Kate teleport away and immediately teleport back as though the first one had been rejected or redirected. She was even wearing the same clothes. She just stood there for a moment, began crying, and launched herself into his arms.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," she stated between several kisses to his face. "God I've missed you." She kissed him like she hadn't kissed anyone in ages. She finally broke from the kiss but didn't let go of him. "We're getting married, like right now. Where are we?" She looked around. "How fast can you get married in New York?" She had waited 8 very long years.

"We have to get back to Reno where our parents are located," he pointed out gently. "Reno, parents. I forgot. …Can we get married in Reno?" she asked. "We only got engaged a few minutes ago Kate," he said, reminding her. She opened her mouth to argue that it had actually been 8 long years, more or less. "You're not ready," she stated, disappointed.

Now it was Rick's turn. He opened his mouth to say something only to close it again. She placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "Just say you still want to marry me. I can wait. I just thought… It's been a long time and I missed you terribly." She collapsed onto him and wept on his shoulder.

"We have time Kate. Time to enjoy being engaged before being married. Do you want to skip that part?" She sniffled, wiped her tears away, and sniffled again. "Miss out on mindless amounts of sex?" Her hesitant smile was his answer.

"Do you remember what we were doing before you left?" he asked her. She tilted her head to one side like that would help. "Refresh my memory please."

"Our parents are in Reno for a week to attend my mother's show and meet each other, not that they have yet. Your mother has taken up a case with a mob enforcer named Pulgotti."

"Who is the start of someone - we don't know who - that is going to blow our planet to hell and gone. Remind me again why we don't know his name?" she asked.

"Because our aliens…"

She interrupted him. "Key," she pointed out. Rick opened his eyes wide. "You met Key?" he asked. She smiled. "She or it said to tell you hi."

"I can't believe we both had the same trainer!" He was astounded.

"Reno, my mother, Pulgotti?" She got back on track.

"Right. Our aliens can see what happens and understand that only the President of the United States has the authority to order that massive of a ballistic missile launch. And _when_ this disaster had a beginning, which is about now. There are likely things that have already happened prior to this that they just don't see," Rick said.

"Like not knowing the Russians had already launched a boomer sub that had a caterpillar drive installed for testing," she offered. She had just shocked Rick yet again. "How the hell do you know about that?" he demanded and stepped away from her. "Key made it a part of my training. She had me do the same mission you did" she replied, not liking the distance between them.

"Seriously? How did you do?" he wondered. "I passed," she stated and watched his face. "After it took me I don't know how many times to get it right." She scrunched up her face. "And I hate you for getting it right the first time. Though in my defense, it was difficult to be a woman on a cramped submarine filled with men," she added.

He laughed and took her back in his arms while kissing her head. "I still think you cheated," she grumbled. "But you made it. And you now know what these can do." He wiggled his fingers. "I do," she replied and wiggled her fingers at him. "Now I want to put these fingers to use babe." She grinned and played with his chest.

"Our parents are expecting us and Alexis is waiting for you," he prompted her. "ALEXIS! I almost forgot about her. Let's go!" she announced. She took hold of him and pressed the gem embedded in her palm.

"ALEXIS!" She scooped her up, hugged her, and let Alexis rub her face against hers. "God I've missed you!" Her tears started all over again. Kate, however, missed the temporarily shocked look on Rick's face. She had just done something she had never done before.

"Meow?" _Did you do it?_

She nodded. "Just short of 8 long years that were full of pain. They poked and prodded. Took samples of everything. Cut my arms off and gave me these that I couldn't even get to move," she explained. It was nothing Rick and Alexis didn't already know.

"Meow." _Now we are a family._

"Almost. Rick wants to wait to get married."

"MEOW?" _DAD?_

"Don't be angry with him Alexis. I'm a new me. He may not even love me anymore. It's been almost 8 years." Kate went fishing for confirmation of his feelings towards her.

"Meow!" _Never!_

Rick stepped up close to both of them. "It's been 8 years for you and only seconds for me. I know what I feel. The question is what you will feel for me after being gone. You need time," he told her gently. They both needed time. It was looking like the Kate he knew was gone and replaced with this one.

"I don't need time Rick. I've missed you badly. Key told me we have a year to get married though," she shared, giving him an out if he wanted it. What Key hadn't told her, and she hadn't thought to ask, was what would happen if they didn't marry.

' _A year_ _,'_ he thought. Had he offered to marry Kate too fast? He knew what the aliens had done to his body meant he would live longer than the average human and that included Kate, or at least it had til now. Now she was an agent. Did the aliens plan on her staying with him? Had they given her an AI unit? Was he supposed to share B5 with her? He had been alone since Meredith left him and he didn't share.

"Rick?" she didn't like him being so quiet. Was he having second thoughts?

He shook his head. "We both need time. We haven't even worked a mission together. Yes, I love the Kate Beckett I knew, but it's been 8 mostly lonely years later for you. Are you Kate Beckett?"

Her mind told her he was right, _that_ Kate was gone and she was the _new_ Kate. However her heart felt like a dagger had been shoved into it. Still she loved him and her training had taught her to never give up. If this was another caterpillar drive mission, then she would just keep trying until she won.

"Then we date, go on missions together, and make love to each other." She put Alexis down and placed her arms around his neck. "If I have to fight to keep you, then I will. You're mine Rick and I'm keeping you. And we _are_ getting married, even if it takes us 355 days to do it." She kissed him.

"Meow." _Don't be an ass_ _D_ _ad._

It was her dedication to them along with Alexis admonishing him that got Rick to wrap his arms around Kate and kiss her back. She wasn't 15 years old anymore. "What's wrong Rick?" she asked him after breaking from the kiss. "Nothing." He tried deflecting, but noticed that she wasn't buying it. "I'm sorry. It's been just me and Alexis since the moment she was born. Maybe even before that actually," he began and soon found his face in her hands.

"And just the two of you ever since. Alexis was 2 when she…died." Kate didn't know any other way to put it."Followed by 8 years all alone like I was. But my time was different than yours, Rick. I already loved you and I had your audio book. You wouldn't believe how many times I listened to your voice and breathed in your scent from a shirt I was given. You were gone but never really gone. I didn't spend those 8 years completely alone like you did. It was different for me," she said quietly.

Then they heard a knock. She let go of Rick and started for the door. "You loved Alexis and it kept you going. I love both of you and it kept me going." She opened the way to letting him think about it.

"MOM, DAD!" Kate hugged an unsuspecting Johanna who was momentarily shocked but recovered quickly to hug her back.

"Meow." _Don't screw this up_ _D_ _ad, please._

"Katie?" Johanna was perplexed; they had seen each other in their room only a few minutes ago. "Just happy to see you." Kate didn't explain beyond that. "We'll have to not see you for a few minutes more often." Johanna hugged her daughter again, having gotten the type of hug she had longed for for years.

Kate picked up Alexis. "Shall we go?" Rick's mother had today and tomorrow off followed by at least 2 weeks of shows before moving on. Larger cities got more weeks. Las Vegas was next and the theater company was going to be there for 2 months.

It took two taxis to get to Martha's hotel. The women and Alexis ended up in one while the men ended up in another.

"So what's up Katie?" Johanna wanted an explanation. "About what?" she asked. "You've changed. I don't know what it is. It only took minutes, but something has changed." Johanna looked her in the face. The eyes told some people a lot. "Nothing has changed Mom, I'm still me." She denied everything.

"THERE, right there. You've been back what, only a few months? And in all that time you almost never called me mom. In fact you went out of your way to not call me anything. Now suddenly it's mom? …Something _has_ changed Katie." Johanna studied her daughter closely. "You got back more of your memory!?" she guessed and deflated when Kate didn't agree right away. So it wasn't that. "I don't know what you're talking about Mom." She silently cursed for using the word mom again. She couldn't tell anyone about who and what she was now.

"Uh huh." Johanna wasn't buying it.

"Meow." _She's relentless._

Kate petted Alexis and bit her tongue to keep from responding. People weren't supposed to understand cats.

Johanna suddenly grabbed Kate's hand and held it up. "KATIE!?" She had spotted the giant rock on her hand. Kate started grinning. "Rick proposed," Kate whispered. "OH, KATIE!" Suddenly she found herself in her mother's arms again.

"Meow!" _Don't crush the cat_ _!_

The yowl of protest from Alexis got Johanna to let go of Kate and back off. "Sorry." Johanna looked at Alexis and then at Kate. "When did this happen?" She had to think about that. To her it was 8 years ago and they weren't married yet. "When we got to our room," she explained. It was actually in their kitchen at home, but she couldn't say that.

"And here I thought Rick would have planned something romantic. A balloon ride maybe. Top of the Empire State Building. Something special and heartfelt." Johanna knew hers had been simple and she had loved it because it was Jim asking. She just thought Rick would do something dramatic.

"It was simple and perfect Mom. I've been trying to talk him into getting married while we're here in Reno, but he wants to wait."

"Getting married here would be great, but I can understand his reasoning. You want the joy of being engaged Katie. It's a fun time in your life that will never come again. He's probably right. Enjoy this time. Show him that he made the right choice and just love him. I'm so happy for you!" Johanna started to hug her again but remembered Alexis was in Kate's lap.

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"So when is your next book out?" Jim asked.

"I didn't think you were a fan," Rick replied, remembering their brief conversation in the frozen food section of the grocery store.

"I'm a good husband and need to know my options to keep my wife happy. If she's happy then she makes my life happy. Otherwise she'll make my life a living hell," Jim replied.

Rick chuckled. He could just see Kate making his life hell if she wasn't happy. The problem was he didn't know just what made her happy.

"The latest one is already out. Kate and I just got back from a short book signing tour. The audio version of that book will be out in a couple of months or so." He had given a copy to Kate before she left for 8 years.

"An audio version. Who did the reading?" Jim asked, wondering what celebrity had done the recording. "I did actually. I haven't talked so much in my entire life. There were far too many times of 'CUT! Let's do that paragraph again and this time put some fear into it. He's a trained killer and this could be your ticket that gets punched.' All I wanted to do was punch someone alright." Rick related, chuckling.

"And you didn't lose your voice?" Jim questioned.

"They were actually very good about that. They always had something for me to drink to keep my voice going. It worked pretty well," he admitted.

"So you and my daughter. Did you already have Katie when we met the first time?" Jim demanded.

Rick paused, trying to think of just what to tell him. "My friend had found her and had just brought her to me to take care of. Kate wasn't even awake at that time. And even when she woke, she had a huge gap in her memory. Believe me, if I had known you were her father at the time, I would have said something." He didn't want Jim angry with him.

"Why you? Why not take her to a hospital?" Jim asked.

"I wish I could answer that question, I really do. To help you understand... I've always wanted some realism in what I write. I like to think that making it real makes the story better. I asked one time and still don't know how, but I got into the CIA for a while. Didn't really see anything or get to go anywhere, but I got to meet a lot of people. One of them was the guy who found your daughter. You'd have to ask him why me instead of a hospital, but I have a few guesses," he half lied.

"North Korea," Jim whispered. "So you and my daughter?" He got to the heart of the matter.

Rick smiled, wondering when Jim would turn the screws. "She is an amazing woman. She's not hard for any man to fall in love with. Her strength, considering her memory loss, is amazing. A lot of women would simply have given up, but not her." He still needed to see what this Kate was like after being gone almost 8 years in her reality.

"She has a lot of her mother in her. Jo doesn't back down to anyone. Katie missing got to her and when she was ready to give up, she would pick herself up and keep fighting." Jim was so proud of Jo; she was the best.

"That and some timely ice cream," Rick agreed while smiling.

Jim chuckled. "A good husband understands the woman that he married and the little things that make her happy."

That gave Rick something to think about. What did make Kate happy? Maybe his desire to wait wasn't such a bad thing.

Kate, Johanna, and Alexis arrived first, though Rick and Jim were right behind them. As Jim waited for Rick to get out of the taxi, he watched his wife drag Kate by the arm while Kate tried to hold onto Alexis.

"JIM!" Johanna grabbed Kate's hand and offered up her left hand to display the giant rock that was on it. "They're engaged." Johanna was beaming. Jim, however, looked shocked and turned to look at Rick who was only half out of the taxi. "I think I'll stay here," Rick said weakly and sank back into the taxi.

"RICHARD CASTLE! You get your butt out of that car!" Johanna yelled at him. "Yes ma'am." He got out of the taxi, watched it drive off, and waited to be skinned alive.

"Meow." _Suck it up_ _D_ _ad._

"They're engaged Jim, can you believe it? Our daughter is marrying my favorite author!" Johanna was thrilled beyond measure. "Maybe I'll get advance copies of his books. I expect all of them to be signed. Ooo, maybe inside information..." Johanna had all kinds of things whirling around in her head.

"MOTHER!" Kate put her foot down. Johanna backed off a little. "Well, it's possible."

"Sorry babe, but she saw the ring and I ended up in the frying pan," she explained. "I did not put you in a frying pan." Johanna took exception to drilling her daughter. "Okay, maybe a little," she relented.

"And before you go ballistic Dad, Rick wants to wait before we actually get married." She was still willing to get married here in Reno if she could talk Rick into it.

Before Jim could say a word they watched a loud group of people walking away from a large bus. "DARLING!" Jim and Johanna watched an older red head hurry up to Rick and hug him tightly. "And Katherine dear." Martha gave Kate a partial hug since she was holding Alexis.

"Mother, this is Jim and Johanna Beckett, Kate's parents. Jim, Johanna, this is my mother, Martha Rodgers." Rick cringed and waited for the inevitable while hoping for the best.


	26. Chapter 26

**CH26**

Martha wasted no time in hugging Johanna who looked like she wasn't quite sure what to do. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Then she turned to Jim and gave him a hug.

"I just need to get checked in and find my room and I'm free to go," Martha told them and headed for the lobby. Thanks to stopping to meet them, she was now last in line; it took her an hour to finally find her room.

"Mother I could have gotten you a better room." Rick was looking around. It was small, like really small. It had a single queen sized bed, a bathroom with a tub and shower head, and that was just about it.

"Nonsense dear. Our entire troop is staying here so I should be close. And besides we've stayed in worse and did alright," Martha countered. She found a place for her suitcase and decided that was enough. "Where shall we go? It's only 6:30," she stated after looking at her watch.

"Well tomorrow I was thinking we could spend the day in Lake Tahoe, as for tonight we could find a good casino and see if we get lucky," Rick suggested.

"Excellent idea dear. I've always loved Nevada. I can't wait to get to Las Vegas and see what's changed." Martha was in.

Jim and Johanna along with Kate simply followed behind them. So they found themselves back in a pair of taxis headed for the Eldorado Hotel and Casino.

81,000 square feet of Casino space. "Oh yes, this is the place." Martha was happy and headed for the cash desk to get some cash and or chips, with everyone else falling in behind her.

"What do you mean you can't accept my card? It worked perfectly yesterday and I haven't used it since," Martha yelled at the man on the other side of the glass. "I don't understand. I have plenty of money. I even just got my paycheck before coming here and put it in the bank the same day." She tried to reason with him.

"Mother?" Rick was closest. "They won't accept my card Richard," Martha stated, very upset.

"Have you got the right card? Do you have another one?" Johanna asked having overheard Martha's problem. As had anyone within hearing range.

"I only have the one card. It's all I've ever needed. It gives me access to all my money," she replied.

"Martha, does your husband have access to your account?" Kate questioned.

"My ex-husband dear, and of course he had access, we were married," Martha commented, not seeing what that had to do with anything.

Kate took Martha's card and whispered into Rick's ear. "I'm going to go talk to B5. Offer Martha your card or she can have mine." She kissed him. "I'll be right back Martha." She headed for the closest women's restroom and found one with 3 empty stalls, picked the one in the middle, and pressed her gem embedded in her palm.

"Just use mine Mother. I'm sure we can straighten this out." Rick handed over one of his took it reluctantly since she was positive she had money. "I'll pay you back darling," she said forcefully and ended up with $3 thousand in chips along with 50 $1 dollar coins.

"Now where's Katherine?" Martha didn't want to play without everyone.

"How is Katie going to find out anything? Isn't there going to be some security password or PIN number?" Johanna whispered to her husband just as Kate came striding back and took Rick off to one side.

"Her account is empty Rick. Everything was withdrawn in a lump sum by someone named James Hanson," Kate said.

"Mother's ex-husband." He was starting to get very angry. "He cleaned her out babe, your mother doesn't have dime," she told him.

"Katherine?" Martha questioned as she, Johanna, and Jim approached them.

"James canceled your card mother. We'll get this straightened out when the bank opens in the morning," Rick offered as a way to handle the problem.

"Canceled my card? Why would he do that?" Martha didn't understand.

"I'm sorry Martha, we didn't know you were divorced." Johanna gave Martha her condolances.

"It's nothing dear, I've been divorced before. It takes more than a divorce to get a Rodgers woman down. …Now shall we start with the dollar slots?" Martha wanted to gamble.

Jim went to one window to get some dollar coins while Rick did the same with Kate right behind him. "What are we going to do babe?" She had ideas, but this was his mother.

Rick got his dollars. "We have a new mission to go on tonight after we go to our room. We're getting my mother's money back. And hang him by his balls from the Statue of Liberty," he stated quietly but sternly.

Kate smiled since Rick had said WE. She suddenly hugged him and kissed him for it.

Martha, it turned out, was lost in her machine leaving the others to play a little and talk a bit. "What happened?" Johanna asked Kate, referring to Martha's credit card. "Martha's ex-husband canceled the card on her," she answered. "Has she actually signed the divorce papers and is sure that they have been filed?" Johanna inquired. "I don't actually know Mom. Rick?" She turned to him and watched him shrug his shoulders. His mother being divorced was a surprise to him too. And Kate hadn't thought to ask B5 about it.

"That would be important information to know," Johanna pointed out. They went back to playing their dollar slots.

Martha had won a little and mostly lost. She put in her final dollar and watched the bandit eat it. "Well, easy come easy go." She wasn't affected by it much. "Evil machine, probably hates me," she commented as she got up to leave. "Not anymore Mother, since you fed it," Rick quipped, causing Martha to laugh a little.

It took a few minutes before there was space for Martha to step into a craps game and start placing bets. She kept betting that the shooter wouldn't make it and she was actually starting to gain some ground. The others simply stood back and watched her. For all her eagerness to play, she wasn't a big better.

"You two want to try black jack?" Rick asked Jim and Johanna while handing over $1 thousand in chips to them and pointed to an open table.

Rick stood behind his mother while Kate went with her parents and waited behind them as they started to play. Johanna, it turned out, was even stingier than Martha. Jim, however, was betting bigger. "You're going to run out of money fast honey if you keep betting like that," Johanna cautioned her husband. "If I'm going to win I want to win something. Not just enough to buy a pack of gum," Jim retorted.

Kate couldn't stay out of it and kept giving both of her parents her opinion on what to do. Johanna wasn't listening. "I told you Mom," she said as Johanna lost. "Go help your father," Johanna snapped as she waved her daughter away.

Jim gave Kate some of his chips and had her sit down and play her own game. Johanna was playing and mostly losing while Jim was keeping himself entertained with his occasional win.

Kate was getting into it more than her parents were. She started out doing pretty well before taking a nose dive. Still she nursed it long enough for her parents to run out of money and decided to leave the table with her last chip.

Walking back over to Martha and Rick, they watched Martha throw the dice. Kate stepped up to Rick and saw all the chips in front of him. "WOW babe!" She was impressed. "Has Martha been that good?" she questioned.

"Richard has been betting against me actually. My own son," Martha complained as she threw the dice and lost again while Rick won a little. Jim and Johanna chuckled behind them.

"Dinner?" Kate suggested since none of them had eaten anything all day because of their trip to the Casino. "Good plan. Come on Mother. You can try again tomorrow," Rick said and got her to open her purse. He dumped all of his chips into her purse with the intent of forgetting about them.

"Let's see what's available here before going somewhere else," he proposed and they headed for the closest board that told them what kind of dining this hotel/casino had.

"Roxy is steaks and chops. La Strada is Italian. Prime Rib Grill," Rick emphasized that restaurant since it interested him. "Buffet, Shushi Sake, Beer Place, Drinks with Desserts, a gelato shop, and a coffee shop," he finished. "Any votes?" he asked. "We know what your vote is babe." Kate patted his shoulder. "I don't mind it either, though the Buffet has the most options." She gave her 2 cents. Martha voted for Italian but didn't seem committed to it. "What do you think Jim, Buffet?" Johanna looked at her husband. "That or Prime Rib Grill," he answered.

"Buffet it is then." Rick caved and they headed for the Buffet which wasn't anywhere near where they were. In fact it was quite a walk.

After looking at all of the food choices, Kate ended up with Chinese, Martha and Rick chose Italian, Johanna selected more American fare, while Jim found carved ham as his favorite.

Rick and Jim went back for seconds while the women went looking at deserts. Not finding what they wanted, the ladies were drinking coffee while the men kept eating, though be it slowly. "How long have you been acting Martha?" Johanna was curious.

"I started out in high school actually. My parents made my costumes for me. I found that I loved being up on stage in front of an audience. Reciting my lines, doing a little dancing, maybe a little singing. I couldn't get enough. I did some church plays in those days also. Anything I could find actually. My parents weren't the richest of people so getting into an acting school was out, still I listened to everyone I came across and did the best I could."

"I've done some TV episodes along with some commercials in my time. I find that I prefer a live audience - Broadway or traveling productions like this one."

"Some of the places I dragged Richard through were questionable, but he never said a word." Martha placed her hand on Rick and smiled.

"Any TV shows I would know?" Johanna asks.

"I had a few weeks on Temptation Lane before I was killed off." Martha comments.

"Seriously! I loved that show. We need to talk, seriously talk." Johanna didn't remember seeing Martha on any of the shows. Still it was possible.

"I hated moving him from school to school while I chased acting jobs. We lived in some of the worst places so I could afford to keep him fed and clothed. Kids grow out of clothes so fast, and then Richard hit a sudden growth spurt. It was all I could do to keep up."

"Now he's a handsome, strapping, young man, and I'm so proud of him. He found something he loved to do and it has made him good money. He doesn't have to live where we did when he was little."

"It was fine Mother, I wouldn't change a thing. I always knew that I was loved even if we moved a lot. Who needed friends when I had the entire backstage filled with people?" Rick covered his mother's hand with his.

"He is a handsome man, you've done a good job with him. Katie couldn't have picked anyone better to be engaged to," Johanna said.

"RICHARD!?" Martha glared at her son and then turned to Kate. "Rick proposed in our room after we dropped my parents off at their room." Kate held up her left hand to show off the diamond that she was wearing.

"I KNEW IT, I JUST KNEW IT! How marvelous. Have you two set a date yet or even picked a location?" Martha was beaming.

"I'm trying to talk Rick into getting married here in Reno before we leave, but he's probably right that we should wait. Enjoy being engaged before getting married," she said, trying to be agreeable.

"Nonsense dear, you do what your heart tells you to do. Doing what your head tells you to do will only lead to trouble. You'll start second guessing yourself and make yourself miserable. You stick with me, between us we'll have you married in Reno before the end of the week. Right Johanna?" Martha went looking for support.

"There has to be a hotel around here somewhere that can handle everything. Maybe in Lake Tahoe," Johanna suggested.

"We can go shopping for a gown. I've always wanted to go wedding gown shopping. Oh this is going to be so much fun! We'll have you two married in no time. We'll leave it to you two to plan the perfect honeymoon. Maybe a nice secluded island beach somewhere. Who needs swimsuits?" Martha was absolutely giddy.

"MOTHER!?" Rick was not amused. Kate, however, was smirking.

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud, dear. We all know that no matter where you go you two will never leave the bedroom," Martha countered and waved her arm to show that the conversation was final.

"Can we trade mothers?" Rick asked looking at Kate. "RICHARD!" Martha was not amused.

"Don't worry Mother, I wouldn't trade you for anyone." He lifted her hand and brushed a soft kiss over it. Jim and Johanna were getting a peek at just how these two worked and it was eye opening to say the least.

"Tomorrow we can look for bridal shops and take Katherine shopping when I'm off. And since I still have Richard's card, if we find the right gown we can buy it. Oh, I love shopping!" Martha was so excited.

"Especially if it's other people's money," Rick moaned. He can just imagine his mother finding Kate a $60 thousand wedding gown. He suddenly sat up straight. What was he thinking? It was _his_ idea to _wait_! He gave his mother a death glare for inserting herself into their engagement which looked like it was going hold the new world record for being the shortest.

The ladies decided to check out the hotel's gelato shop so they got desert to go for everyone.

Rick made sure to get Martha a taxi to her hotel. "We'll join you for breakfast Mother and go from there," he said. "I look forward to it dear. It's been a pleasure to meet you, Jim and Johanna."

"You too Martha." Johanna replied, a little shocked by this woman.

Martha's taxi left as Rick flagged down another pair of taxis to return to them to their hotel. "What did you think?" Johanna asked her husband as they rode in the taxi. "Martha? She is vibrant and sure of herself. Just not in an overly conceited way." Jim shared his opinion.

"She certainly has no problem speaking her mind that's for sure. Still she is pushing them to get married while they are here... I know Katie wants to, why so suddenly I don't know. Something we're going to have to quiz her about tomorrow," Johanna said, looking for support from Jim.

Jim didn't miss the WE part in that sentence and knew his wife expected him to help get answers out of their daughter. Tomorrow was looking to be a very long day for him.

The two couples said their good nights on their floor and walked different directions.

"B5?" Rick asked as Kate took hold of his arm and nodded. It was time to get his mother's money back and give this Hanson guy a token "thank you for being an ass" gift.

"Should we be pushing these two to get married?" Johanna asked her husband as she slid under the sheets after changing, washing her makeup off, and rubbing in her skin lotion.

"Rick seemed concerned that getting married here was rushing it a little," Jim stated.

"But he did ask Katie to marry him, surely he's ready to get married. Though I'll admit most people have some kind of engagement time. Even we took 3 months, we're not even giving them a week." Johanna felt bad about that.

"So we're not going dress shopping tomorrow?" Jim prayed, since he had no interest in going wedding gown shopping.

"You're not, no. You're staying here with Rick and you two can entertain yourselves. Just don't get arrested doing it. It wouldn't look good on your resume," Johanna warned him.

"Is this your way of telling me you won't come bail me out?" he questioned.

"Oh I'll bail you out alright, right after I let you stew in jail overnight and let you think about how you're going to make it up to me," Johanna replied.

"Perhaps I should do some preliminary work to increase my chances," Jim suggested as he started kissing her bare skin. "I like the way you think counselor," Johanna answered with a sigh.

It took no time at all for Rick and Kate to find where James Hanson was staying. The idiot used a credit card with which to book his hotel room.

Kate had Hanson's wallet and his briefcase filled with papers. "Be right back, he's yours to deal with." She kissed Rick's cheek and disappeared, ending up in front of B5.

Rick rubbed his hands. "What do I do with you?" Doing what he had done to the guy who had bought Kate came to mind. But Rick wanted Hanson to know he had screwed up so that meant he had to keep his mind. Which was a pity.

"Well I'm not leaving you here, so where do you go?" Then Rick got an evil idea. "I wonder if you speak Chinese or Korean?" He started smiling. He had taken someone from North Korea, might as well give them someone back in return.

"First let's make you look drunk," he said to himself and placed a finger on Hanson's sleeping head followed by stripping him naked. "Okay big guy, let's go." He teleported both of them to Kim's viewing area for rocket launches and placed Hanson in the big chair. He arranged for one of his hands to have broken fingers, except for the center one.

"There, all comfy?" he asked him. "You just stay right there and take a nice nap. The guards should be along soon and give you a new place to stay until Kim tires of you." He teleported back to their hotel room, picked up Alexis, and teleported to their kitchen.

Kate was just finishing up working with B5 to relieve Hanson of every penny since he was certainly not going to be needing any money. She was positive Rick would take care of that.

"How did it go?" she asked just after he and Alexis showed up.

"North Korea now has a new resident, though his tenure is likely to be short." Rick snarked as he got out Alexis's crystal dish and a can of Turkey and Rabbit cat food. He popped the top, which enticed Alexis to jump up on the island countertop in seconds. He sprinkled a little dry food on top and let Alexis eat.

"I hope he enjoys being someone's unwilling bitch." Kate was never going to get over what they had done to her. No matter how her life went, she had lost 5 years of it.

"My Mother is happy, Alexis is happy, I'm pretty sure your parents are happy. Now what does it take to make my fiancée happy?" Rick brushed his lips across Kate's.

"Let's find out." Kate took his hand, lead him to their bedroom, and allowed Rick to make her very, very happy.


	27. Chapter 27

**CH27**

A tired but satisfied Kate woke up sleeping next to Rick with both of them still naked. "Finally awake I see," Rick teased.

"Hhm, not really. Go back to sleep," Kate suggested and closed her eyes while twisting her head to kiss whatever section of Rick's skin she could reach. He squirmed and laughed a little.

It took her a moment. "Are you ticklish?" That was something new. She became more awake as she searched for that spot again with her hand this time.

"I'm not ticklish. I was just reacting to the scratch of your beard," he teased. She stopped searching for the spot. "I do _not_ have a beard!" She took offense.

"Mustache maybe?" he offered, keeping up the tease to distract her. "MUSTACHE!" Since he was on his back, she got up, straddled him, then grabbed his hands, and pinned them to the bed. "Richard Castle, I do not have a beard _or_ a mustache. Now you take all of that back!" She tried to sound commanding.

"And show weakness in the face of your mustache and beard? I don't think so," he countered. Using his legs and arm strength, he rolled Kate over so she was on her back. This time he had _her_ arms pinned. "Besides, I kind of like you like this." He bent down and kissed away her reply.

An hour later, after some mind blowing orgasms that Kate had been missing out on for 8 years, they were in the shower, her arms wrapped around him. She rested her cheek up against his back. "Wash me?"

It was some time later and they were outside of Jim and Johanna's hotel room knocking on their door. "Hi Dad!" Kate greeted Jim who opened the door and stepped aside to let them in. She all but pranced in to see Johanna rummaging in her suitcase. "You two ready to go?" she asked as Johanna finally found what she was looking for and headed for the bathroom. "Just give me a minute," Johanna called over her shoulder.

Jim moved over to Rick and whispered softly, "Better get ready for a drilling. Jo got everything you said in the taxi out of me last night and she's got a lot of questions for you," he warned. Rick was perplexed. What had he said in the taxi that would get Johanna's interest? "Where Katie was located, who had her, what they did, who found her, why leave her with you? All of which I'm dying to know too, but I can wait for Jo to tell me after she drills you for answers." Jim was smiling as he stepped away.

His wife could be tenacious and if Jo didn't like his answers, she would just keep drilling till she struck gold.

It took two taxis again to get them to Martha's hotel. "You're with me this time Rick." Johanna took his arm and guided him to one of the taxis. He gave Kate a quick "help me" look before being shoved into their taxi.

"What's Mom doing Dad?" Kate was all over Jim the second the door closed. "Your mother has questions and if Rick doesn't have answers, you may not be getting married." Jim tried to shrink away.

"WHAT! WHY? What is Mom planning to do to Rick?" Kate split her vision between her father and the taxi in front of them.

"Your mother wants answers to where you were, who took you, who found you, and why you were at Rick's house. Which is a good question. Why were you left at his house instead of being taken to a hospital?" Jim turned on his daughter.

His question left Kate sputtering and trying to think fast. No way could she say, "because Rick found me and saved my life and it was all because of aliens." The same aliens she had just spent the last 8 years of her life with on another planet, while nothing happened here in all that time.

"Alright Rick, who found my daughter?" Johanna fired off her first question.

"A friend," he replied. "Not remotely good enough Rick. Who is this friend?" Johanna countered. "Someone I met while spending a couple of weeks or so at the CIA," he explained a little more. "Meaning you won't tell me his name," Johanna bet and watched him shake his head.

"I know Katie said she was in North Korea, so who took her?" Johanna left the CIA guy alone for now. "I don't actually know, it was part of his mission," he explained, trying not to start swallowing hard.

"National Security my ass!" Johanna wasn't buying it. "Fine, where did he find her? And I don't mean North Korea. I mean where, doing what?" He sighed and decided a little truth might appease her. "In a room with other women he had probably purchased, all of them were Asian. All of them showed signs of having been… All of them were scantily clad and only Kate was hooked up to an IV," he explained.

"An IV meant to kill her so they could dump her body." Johanna tried to remember what she had already been told. "That was his guess, yes. Kate was either too old now, or he had just tired of her." He actually didn't know why.

"And your friend saved just Kate and brought her to you instead of taking her to a hospital." Johanna stated. "He took all of the girls out and they were dropped off in Japan since they were all Asian." He corrected Johanna's comment.

"Okay, why you? A hospital would have been better, wouldn't it? How could you have possibly helped her?" Johanna wanted to know why Rick was even involved at all. "His mission didn't exist. Technically he should have left all of the girls behind and left them to their fate. But he's a good guy who has the cutest little girl you'd ever want to see. Since he was the senior man in the field, his subordinates did as they were told. Dropping off the women in Japan most likely got him in trouble, however bringing Kate all the way to the states definitely would have. Bringing her all the way back here and dropping her off at a US hospital would have caused him no end of trouble." Rick explained.

"That doesn't answer my question. Why bring her to you?" Johanna demanded. "Hospitals would ask questions and I owed him a favor. He remembered me from my time there. I know people all over and helping Kate by myself was beyond my abilities. But I had a friend who owed me a favor and it was she who took care of her while Kate stayed with me for the weeks while she recovered," he explained, offering a slightly different view of B5.

"And you won't tell me who this person was, would you?" Johanna queried.

"Not if you threatened to remove my finger nails one by one," he said, steadfast. Besides Johanna would be unconscious long before she even started.

Johanna sat back and thought about it. "If your friend hadn't even gone, Katie would be dead. If he hadn't had a heart, she would be dead. If you didn't have friends to help you, she would be dead or just lost in the system and we would never know. It's just too coincidental, too many things had to line up just right for this." Johanna wasn't buying it.

He tried to think of examples that would prove events just happen. "Apollo 13 should have been lost. Two different systems and they had to use junk that was on board to save themselves. If they hadn't stirred the tank would it not have blown?"

"If the engineers for Columbia had talked back to their superiors and told everyone it was too dangerous to launch at that time. If they had just delayed it for warmer weather. If they had designed the system better."

"A tiny amount of static electricity because the air ship was grounded by a guide line and the Hindenburg was gone in seconds."

"The Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Designed in a time when suspension bridges were common. A little bit of wind sets up a resonance that brought it crashing down."

"In each case tiny little things had to line up perfectly to create the disaster. Today you take on a case and prove that a man is innocent of the murder charges he is charged with. And you would be right, he didn't kill that person. However next week he does kill someone who is the pilot of a commercial airplane. The murdered man is replaced with a pilot who has a heart attack that the co-pilot is overwhelmed by the emergency and 171 people and crew all die."

"You defended him correctly just as you should have, but what if you had taken just one week longer to prove it?"

"Certain things have to line up correctly for a lot of things to happen. My examples are mostly all engineering disasters. But let's take your line of thinking. If my friend hadn't dropped off Kate for me to take care of, who knew just what to do? I wouldn't be in love, I wouldn't have asked Kate to marry me. None of us would be here in Reno allowing me to find out my Mother is divorced with a credit card that doesn't work."

"Coincidences happen everywhere all the time. What if you never met Jim, never dated, and never married. What if you and Jim hadn't gotten together at all let alone when Kate was conceived?" Rick ended his defense to Johanna's question of coincidence.

Johanna thought about everything he had said. Her lawyer mind tried to pick it apart. "You're sure you're just a writer?" Johanna questioned as their taxi arrived at Martha's hotel.

"Research Johanna, lots and lots of research." He smiled at her, got out of the taxi, and offered Johanna a hand to help her out. He found himself being hugged tightly. "Thank you, and if you ever talk to this friend of yours, you can thank him for me too." Johanna had her daughter back, coincidences be damned. She gave Rick a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Should I be jealous?" Jim walked over to his wife after watching her hug and kiss Rick.

"He saved our daughter and now he's engaged to her. I was simply thanking him. He's also a very smart man; Katie may have her hands full with him." Johanna kissed her husband quickly.

"Now I have to fight my own mother off of you?" Kate questioned as she took hold of his arm with both hands, smiling at her tease.

"Your mother is tenacious. Where were you exactly, who found you, why was I taking care of you? She is a well-practiced lawyer who doesn't back down," he pointed out.

"You think her working the Pulgotti case is going to get her in trouble?" she asked, a little concerned.

"Your mother only just got the case, we should have time. We are going to need to keep an eye on her though. Think you can handle your own mother?" he queried while smiling at her.

"If I can get dad on my side? …Maybe." She had noticed her mother wasn't afraid of a lot of things.

They found Martha sitting in the lobby waiting for them. "Finally! I was beginning to think you two had eloped on me and left me behind." She hugged everyone quickly. "I'm starving, where shall we go?" She wanted to get going. "And then we need to go dress shopping," she reminded them.

 _ **Peg's Glorified Ham and Eggs**_

It was in a strip mall. It took up a fair chunk of it and looked busy. "Busy is good, it means it's popular with good food," Johanna offered as their two taxis dropped them off there.

They were seated quickly since a table for 6 was empty even though there were only 5 of them.

"WOW!" Johanna got her first look at the menu.

They gave their drink orders which were mostly milk, orange juice, and coffee. "We're going to need a few minutes," Rick advised their waitress. "Take your time honey, I'm not going anywhere." And she left to get their drinks.

"What do you think Katie?" Johanna looked for help. "I wish I knew Mom. Though I'm liking Monte Cristo triple decker French toast stuffed with ham, Swiss, turkey and cheddar, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and served with a fresh fruit bowl," she stated. Johanna hummed as she thought about her choices.

Their waitress came back with their drinks and took their orders.

Rick - Hawaiian Breakfast, Portuguese sausage, fried Spam, two eggs and white rice.

Kate - Joe's Special, eggs scrambled with mushrooms, spinach and onion, with a choice of ground chuck OR ground turkey. "With turkey please."

Martha - Veggie Bene avocado, tomato, onion, spinach.

Jim - Steak and Eggs with onions and mushrooms.

Johanna - The "LEO" scrambled lox, eggs and onions, served with a bagel, sliced onions, tomatoes, capers and hash browns.

Kate stole a piece of fried Spam from Rick just to find out what it tasted like. "It's different," she commented, kind of liking it. He retaliated and took a fork full of her omelet. "We're going to have to remember these when we get home," he suggested as Kate nodded, her mouth full.

"You two are on your own," Johanna informed Jim and Rick. "We have shopping to attend to." She took Kate's hand and headed for their taxi. "I still have your card darling." Martha waved at her son and followed Kate and Johanna.

Jim and Rick stood there watching the women drive off. "What do we do and where is your cat?" Jim questioned. "We're going to need to go get her so that the cleaning crew doesn't spot her and throw us out," Rick replied which told Jim what was first. "Should have gotten the women to take her," Jim said. Rick got out his cell phone, called Kate and asked her to go get Alexis and take her with them. She loved the idea.

"That takes care of that," Jim said after Rick hung up. "I'd say we go get drunk, but it's a little early for that," Rick stated getting Jim to lightly chuckle. "A trip to Lake Tahoe to see what we can find?" he suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess so," Jim said, agreeing. They directed their taxi driver to take them there.

 _ **The Gondola at Heavenly**_

 _The Gondola at Heavenly provides riders with an impressive view of the cobalt-blue waters of Lake Tahoe._

They were at the top after paying a large amount of money just for a gondola ride. "It's quite the view," Jim stated from the terrace of Heavenly Mountain. "Yes it is," Rick agreed and looked at Jim as they both turn to go looking for someone to talk to about his wedding.

"We have several wedding packages and we take care of everything. The Mountain Top Terrace requires a minimum of 30 guests while the observation level lower down can handle groups as small as 10," they were told.

"Do you have an opening sometime this week?" Jim inquired. "Let me check, do you know how many people will be involved?" It would help her in her search.

He actually started counting on his fingers. "Three plus the bride and groom." Jim smiled since it was such a small number.

"Oh, I know the observation level is all booked up through winter of this year," she told them. Rick kind of figured doing a wedding with no planning ahead of time wasn't going to be easy.

"So we need at least 30 people," Jim confirmed and got her to look. "We actually do have an opening in three days. There is a wedding today followed by a cleanup of the site giving us two days to make arrangements. There is another wedding scheduled late next week with a wedding every week after that all through winter," she informed them.

"We just need to come up with 30 people," Jim commented. "I'm afraid so. Perhaps a different location that has space for small groups?" she suggested.

"30 people." Rick tried to think. He wasn't even sure he knew 30 people, at least not ones who would drop everything and fly out to Lake Tahoe at the drop of a hat. "30 people." Rick pulled out his phone again. "Hello Mother."

"Richard, you two can't be possibly bored already? Kate hasn't even tried on the first dress yet," Martha responded.

"Is she available?" he prayed, only to be told she was changing into their first find on this trip.

"Jim and I have found a site for the wedding at the top of Heavenly Mountain that requires a trip up the side of the mountain. It has amazing views but we have a major problem," he said.

"I know it's not money dear. We haven't found a dress Katherine likes yet, so what's the problem?" Martha didn't see how she was involved in this decision.

"They have an opening in three days, however we need a minimum of 30 people to book it."

"There are only just the 5 of us dear," Martha stated the obvious. "I'm aware of that Mother. I was wondering just how many people are part of your troop and if they would be willing…" Martha interrupted him. "That's a wonderful idea! If we include the local stage crew we should have 30 people easy. It's brilliant! We have a show each night so the wedding will need to be during the day."

"I'll have to ask tomorrow before our first rehearsal, but it should work. This is going to be amazing, something you both will remember for years to come." She hung up on him so she could tell Johanna and talk with Kate after she came out.

"We'll take it," Rick told her. The event coordinator got started making reservations, asking questions, and taking his deposit to reserve the site.

Ordained Minister

Professional Photographer

California Marriage License

Notary Fees

Phone Consultation with Minister

Traditional or Personalized Vows

All Photographic Images Plus Photo Copyrights

Digital Video of Ceremony (optional)

Wedding March Music

Ceremony location fees

Hour Terrace Reservation

Gondola Tickets (30 total)

Chairs for Guests

PA System for Music and Toasting Speeches

Water Station

Choice of 2 Appetizers

Domestic Beer, House Wine, and Champagne

"We're going to need tuxedos," Rick mentioned and was told where he and Jim could find the tuxedo shop.

After three dresses, the wedding consultant thought she had what Kate was actually looking for and handed her the next gown to try on. "I think you'll love this one. It's part of the Stella York collection."

 _ **WEDDING DRESS WITH ILLUSION LACE SLEEVES**_

 _STYLE 6176 This lace over Matte-side Lustre Satin Stella York wedding gown will ensure you are the center of elegance and attention. It features romantic illusion lace sleeves, a glamorous chapel train, and fabric-covered buttons that adorn the illusion back and trail through to the gorgeous lace and tulle fabric._

Johanna stepped, up took the hair pins she was handed, and pinned Kate's hair up behind her head, allowing some tendrils to hang on each side.

Kate was smiling as she stood in front of the three sided mirror and twisted in place to see all sides. She wasn't so sure about the buttons up the middle of her back, however she loved the sleeves. But she wasn't pleased with how long it took to get into it, let alone how long it was going to take Rick to get her out of it. That was the only portion of the dress that gave her pause. She was still smiling when she turned to look at her mother, soon to be step-mother and Alexis.

"Meow." _It's you Kate._

"We'll take it," Johanna announced."You're going to make a beautiful bride," Martha added blinking back tears. Her son was getting married.

"Rick and Jim have found a venue too. In three days you'll be married on top of Mount Heavenly. They are presently off finding tuxedos to wear," Johanna informed Kate who was wiping away tears.

"That is the premier place around here to get married. I can't believe you got in on short notice. That's almost unheard of," the wedding consultant helping them said.

"We need to go dress shopping," Martha announced and waved Rick's credit card getting Johanna to smile. This was going to be amazing. They all just knew it.


	28. Chapter 28

**CH28**

I'm on vacation this weekend so this will be the last chapter update until Monday. Problem is it also means no writing will get done this weekend. Because of that chapter updates may slow to every other day.

Just a little warning for everyone.

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Rick and Jim had been fitted for their tuxedos and were wondering what to do next. "Think they are still dress shopping?" Rick wondered.

"You have a lot to learn about women and shopping, son. Buying a wedding gown is just the start of it. The other two are going to need new dresses as well, and all of that is going to take a long time," Jim warned.

"I guess that means lunch then," Rick said and they headed for the closest hotel/casino to find something to eat.

"Now we need new dresses for this occasion," Johanna agreed. They got advice just for that from the consultant who was ringing up Kate's wedding dress.

"Your dress will be ready in two days, and since I know where and when I might just be there to watch. Most women look lovely during their wedding but I'm sure you are going to be dazzling and that is worth watching." Kate blushed.

"Lunch is first ladies," Martha announced.

"Hide Alexis or we'll get thrown out. I promise to get you a fish if you're a good girl," Kate told Alexis as they reached their lunch destination.

Their waitress looked at them funny when Kate ordered a fresh, uncooked trout complete with head and tail and ended up being charged for the entire fish meal.

Alexis was content to eat her fish off of its own plate on the seat next to Kate while everyone ate their lunch. "Now do we get color matching dresses or do we care?" Johanna asked.

"We get what we both fall in love with and don't worry about it. We're going to be too busy smiling and crying at the same time to worry about matching," Martha replied.

They dropped Martha off at her hotel so she could hang up her dress before heading to Johanna's and Kate's hotel so Johanna could do the same, only to find Rick and Jim in the lobby nursing drinks while waiting for them.

Kate was smiling and was sure she was glowing when she strode right up to Rick and kissed him. "I take it you found a dress you like?" Rick asked her.

A tear rolled down her face. "It's so gorgeous. Thank you." Kate kissed him again while everyone watched.

Martha waited downstairs with Alexis while the others went up to their rooms to wash up a little before dinner. "Rick, I…we're not pushing you into this marriage are we?" She knew he had wanted to wait.

"I offered to wait to give you time. To you it has been almost 8 years later. I thought you were the one that would want time. Time to adjust. Time to live and get used to being engaged," Rick replied.

"Isn't that something you wanted too?" she queried.

"Spend time being engaged, showing you off to all those jealous men out there. Sure, who wouldn't? My main question is do you feel like a child in an adult body still? I know your life hasn't been normal in any way. You lost 5 years and spent the last 8 making up for it. I'm more concerned that you're pushing for this to make your parents happy or think you need this to make you happy." He wanted to make sure she was fully committed to marrying now.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm changed and I know it. And it's not just the arms or the training in how to use them. They took me to school too. I finished high school and have 2 years of schooling in three majors. I don't feel like a child anymore Rick, and I have you to thank for all of it. You found me, you fixed me, and you loved me. I've given my virginity to the man of my life and I don't need anyone else. You make me happy and I want to be Mrs. Castle for untold years to come." She searched his eyes only to find him kissing her instead.

Kate wiped away her tear after Rick broke from the kiss. "I love you," she told him, opening up her heart completely.

"I love you too. Shall we join the others? Maybe we can find a late show to go watch after we eat or try our luck at the machines or tables," he offered.

"I don't know, I'm worried that I've used up all of my luck finding you." She wiped away more tears.

"Never going to happen. …Go wash your face and we'll go get your parents and collect my mother. There has to be something worth eating in this hotel." He shooed her into the bathroom.

Downstairs they were all studying the board. "Steakhouse, Manhattan deli, pasta, buffet, sushi or oysters." Rick went down the list.

"Are oysters even any good?" Kate asked, shuddering. "They look slimy and disgusting." She made a face.

"Strike one," Rick said.

"Sushi?" he asked and looked around. He didn't see any takers.

"Deli sounds like lunch," Kate stated, not liking the idea. Maybe another day. They could check and see if it really was a Manhattan deli some other time.

"That leaves your favorite babe." She patted his arm as they went in search of the Atlantis Steakhouse.

It was decided that they couldn't sneak Alexis in so Rick took her up to their room. "I'm sorry Alexis. I promise to bring you a fresh fish." Rick kissed her fur.

"Meow." _Just marry her dad._

"My god Rick, they want $74 for a simple steak." Kate immediately spotted the most expensive thing on the menu.

Rick – T-bone steak served with soup or salad, sautéed mushrooms and grilled vegetables. "Ooo, they have oysters and you are so going to try one!" Rick ordered them, too.

Kate – Filet mignon served with soup or salad, sautéed mushrooms and grilled vegetables.

Martha – Veal chop served with soup or salad, sautéed mushrooms and grilled vegetables.

Johanna – Top Sirloin steak, 10oz, served with soup or salad, sautéed mushrooms and grilled vegetables.

Jim – New York Steak, 16oz., served with soup or salad, sautéed mushrooms and grilled vegetables.

Alexis – Alaskan Halibut.

"Okay, time to try an oyster," Rick announced after everyone had finished eating.

Kate made a face of disgust as he put one up to her lips. "Just inhale and swallow it down, don't chew it," he advised and placed it between her lips. He tipped it up and watched her inhale and swallow it down. "And?" He looked at Kate with a hopeful look, while Johanna had a look of disgust. "It was cold, slimy and tasteless. It was disgusting."

"Maybe if you tried one with hot sauce?" he suggested and tapped out some hot sauce onto another one and picked it up. "No thanks, babe. I want to sleep tonight, not spend it bent over the toilet bowl. And I'm not kissing you if you eat that thing either," she informed him as he brought it up to his lips. He put it down and pushed it away only as they all watched Martha scarf them down one after the other. "I like oysters, and they're supposed to be good for the libido," she informed them. She had decided that since she was divorced she needed to get ready to go on the prowl for the next husband.

Rick placed Alexis's fish on a plate and let her eat in peace. "Always fish?" Kate asked as they sat in their living room area waiting for the coffee maker to finish. "I don't remember Alexis liking fish when she was young so it must be a cat thing. I'm just glad she likes being a cat. Staying in tiger form would cost me a small fortune in steaks since she requires something like 9 New York Strips in just one meal." He meant it as information, however it earned him a light swat to his arm from Kate.

"Alexis would be worth every penny," she scolded.

"Oh I know that. That's why it would cost me a fortune. I could just serve her lower quality pieces of meat, but I could never do that to Alexis. She deserves the best," he said, knowing Alexis had taken his heart the second he held her in his arms.

Kate gave Rick an "I'm sorry" kiss for what she thought. "Are you sure all this fresh fish is good for her?" she asked since it didn't sound balanced to her.

"Alexis may look like a real cat but she's actually…" Kate interrupted him. "A construct. …So she simply turns wherever food she is given into energy for her form to survive." She finally got it.

"What if the fish is tainted?" she wondered, since the oceans weren't clean anymore. "The same thing that would happen if we were subjected to something foreign," he responded, Reminding Kate that her arms were also mobile labs of a sort. Poisons would be cleaned out of their system given enough time. Drugs would equally be cleaned out of their system though at a faster rate depending on how much and what type of drug was used. Just like their blood was presently being cleaned like was done in medical on the alien planet, simply on a smaller scale.

Kate sat back and leaned into Rick, confident that Alexis was perfectly safe. "I wonder what is happening to Martha's ex-husband." She changed the subject, causing him to chuckle. Because he could think of all kinds of things that could be happening to James at this point in time.

"Kim murders his own people, what he is doing to James…" Rick was sure he was screaming.

"Are we sure this is an appropriate punishment for someone who is nothing more than a simple thief?" she wondered. After all he didn't kill anyone, or steal someone to be sold into slavery.

"And if it had been me instead of my mother?" he asked since he loved his mother and Kate has said and has shown that she loved him. She chose to remain silent since anything happening to Rick would likely result in her coming unhinged.

"So what do we do tomorrow, since Mother has rehearsals most all day until we meet her for dinner?" Rick asked. That was a good question. She was already getting what she wanted out of this trip. She was getting a husband. That thought had Kate snuggling in a little closer. "Leave it up to my parents maybe? It is their vacation being out here too. How far is it to another city like say Vegas?" she queried.

"We are not getting married in Vegas Kate, you're just going to have to wait." He smiled at her which earned him a swat to his arm. "Reno to somewhere else?"

"San Francisco is probably an hour by air and likely 4 plus hours by car depending on traffic. Vegas, 1-1/2 hours by plane and 7 or 8 hours by car. Probably the same to Salt Lake City." He tried to work it out in his head.

"So we're trapped here is what you're saying?" she asked since nothing was close.

"No, James is trapped; we have options. Or we could just stay in our room and let your parents fend for themselves," Rick suggested and started working on taking Kate's top off getting the reaction he was hoping for.

She didn't know when he left the bed, but he left her sleeping. Now she could hear the water running in the shower. She hoped that she could step into the shower with him and maybe wash him or wash each other.

Just then Alexis jumped up onto the bed and walked right into Kate's arms and started rubbing her face against the side of Kate's face. "Purr!" _You're marr_ _y_ _ing dad_ _!_

"I am in 3 days I think. Don't worry Alexis, you'll be right up front." Kate kissed Alexis's fur.

"Meow?" _Has dad told you everything?_

That left Kate perplexed. "What do you mean, everything?" She didn't understand, everything about what?

"About what?" she asked her only to have Alexis run away. "ALEXIS!" Kate couldn't catch her to stop her.

Kate stepped into the shower with Rick and ran her hands over his body. "Babe, is there something you're not telling me?" she asked quietly.

The question took him by surprise. "I don't think so. There are probably a lot of things we're going to learn about each other," he pointed out as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I mean about when I was taken and turned into a sex slave. What have you left out?" she asked and could feel Rick go stiff, telling her that there was something more.

"You don't really need to…" Kate cut him off. "It's my life we're talking about babe. I know my body is in perfect shape even though I still have gaps in my memory and likely always will. They fixed everything Rick, so what are you not telling me?"

Rick held Kate tighter still. "Sweetheart, Kate, please. It's not important anymore and he's dead," he pleaded.

"And is our marriage going to be based on secrets?" she fired back.

He pulled her head into his chest and held it there. "I…I didn't know until B5 informed me before she fixed what she could. Yes, you were bought and sold into someone's sex house. Likely raped repeatedly over the years. Which doesn't change what I feel for you in the least," he began and paused, wondering just how to tell her. "I don't think he concerned himself with using a condom on any of the women." Kate went stiff in his arms and held onto him tighter.

"You were pregnant at one time, B5 didn't know exactly when. The baby was aborted by a butcher. He damaged your uterus leaving you infertile. But that's not the case anymore. All that has been repaired." Rick knew when her knees gave out because he was using his strength to hold her up.

Then he felt the muscle spasms of her body that told him she was crying. "Kate, it's in the past, it's all over." However all Kate did was cry, overwhelming sobs wrenching her body. Rick carried her to the bed all wet and dried her off a bit before tucking her into the bed where she curled up into a ball, weeping.

Rick quickly put on some clothes and told Alexis to stay. He ran down the hall to knock on Jim and Johanna's door, where Jim answered the door. "Is Johanna decent?" He didn't wait for an answer and stepped past Jim finding Johanna sitting dressed, putting on make-up.

"I need your help. Kate all but forced me to tell her everything. She knows that she used to be pregnant while being held and that the baby was aborted." Rick held out his room key.

Johanna looked shocked and then hurt. She ripped the room key out of Rick's hands and ran out of their room and down the hall.

He sat in the chair Johanna vacated and placed his face in his hands. "Why does she have to be so determined to know everything? …Not knowing wasn't going to hurt her. I just wanted to protect her." Rick's tears traveled down his face just as Kate's were doing.

Johanna went charging into their room and found Alexis draped all over Kate's head and shoulder. "Meow!" _Please help her_ _!_ "Meow." _It's all my fault._

Alexis left Kate when Johanna got in close. She moved to the end of the bed, sat there, and watched. "Meeooww." _I'm_ _so_ _sorry._

Johanna tried to get her face into Kate's who had hers buried. "Katie? Can you hear me love?" She did her best to get her hands on either side of Kate's face. "Katie?" Johanna was suddenly surprised when Kate literally sprang out of bed and into her arms, sobbing while crushing her in her arms.

The day turned into a full blown disaster before it was even breakfast. Johanna and Kate ate lunch via room service as did Rick and Jim. Johanna had a broken Kate to put back together while Jim was trying to do the same for Rick.

Jim met Johanna in the hallway. "How's Katie?" He was more concerned about her than about Rick. "She's taking it hard. She barely touched lunch. Somehow all that she asked for a fish for Alexis who, to be honest, is the only one eating." Johanna had barely touched hers either.

"Rick isn't in much better shape. He's still on the floor sitting up against the edge of the bed. I had to chase housekeeping away when they showed up," Jim told her, getting Johanna to nod since she had done the same thing.

"Now what?" he questioned, frustrated.

"I wish I knew. I'm only barely reaching her. Honestly, I'm becoming afraid for her. She needs to release this. Mourn what has happened and move on. I just don't know how." Johanna had never thought of this happening in her life.

"Do we seek out professional help?" Jim wondered, since he wasn't reaching Rick much more than Johanna was with Kate.

"Can you get Rick back into his room? Maybe they can get past it together. Lord knows they're connected deeply." Johanna suggested. "It reminds me of someone we both know." Jim commented.

Johanna smiled for the first time in hours. If she and Jim could overcome a disaster, so could Rick and Kate. "Help me with the door?" Jim asked and they headed for their room to get Rick on his feet.

Rick went like a zombie while Johanna handled the doors. Jim found Kate much like Johanna had a few hours ago - curled up on the bed though Johanna had managed to get her into a robe.

"Get him on the bed and get his clothes off of him; I'll move Katie," Johanna said determinedly and started rolling Kate over to one side of the bed instead of in the middle.

Jim had almost no trouble because Rick put up no resistance. With Johanna's help, he got Rick in bed and into each other's arms. "Now we wait," Johanna told Jim.

Jim and Johanna camped out on the loveseat and took turns looking in on the two of them. "Have you noticed their cat?" Jim asked her as he came back from the bedroom and checking in on them.

"You mean the fact that she is camped out on both of them softly meowing like she is hurting as much as they are?" Johanna had already noticed.

"Do we cancel the wedding? And what do we tell Rick's mother?" Both of those questions kept Johanna silent for a moment while she considered everything. "Martha is busy and can't do more than we are surely, though we should call her. As for the wedding, let's play that one by ear. Maybe tomorrow will be better." Johanna said hopefully.

Jim listened to the call Johanna made to Martha who knew nothing about what had happened to Kate. Johanna assured her that one of them would be watching over them all night long and they would keep Martha updated.

Johanna was hoping that everything would be better tomorrow and they would still make her opening show in Reno. They would get there as early as they could so Martha could talk with them before the show.

Needless to say Martha didn't get much sleep that night as Jim and Johanna traded places throughout the night.


	29. Chapter 29

**CH29**

Rick woke up in the middle of the night. As he blinked his eyes, he found Kate's hazel eyes looking back at him. He also noticed that they were wrapped up in each other. "Hi," he said, getting a "Hi," back from Kate.

"Meow." _I'm so sorry._

They both realized Alexis was laying on top of them or maybe more in-between the small crack that existed between them.

"Meow." _I'm really sorry._

Kate looked at Rick not understanding why Alexis was sorry. "Alexis talked me into telling you everything before we got married. No more secrets," he explained quietly.

"Meow." _I'm sorry._

She pulled Alexis in closer and kissed her fur. "What happened isn't your fault Alexis." She kissed her fur again.

"We'll talk in the morning?" he suggested and she nodded, pulling him even closer with their faces close together and shut her eyes.

Jim came into the room and handed the room key to his wife. "Any change?" Jim asked before checking for himself.

"They're still wrapped up in each other though the cat looks to have moved a little," Johanna mentioned and gave Jim a quick kiss. "Go get some sleep Jo. I'll watch them til morning," he told her and escorted her to the door.

"Like that's going to happen." Johanna had her doubts and by the way Jim was yawning, he hadn't gotten much, if any, sleep either. "Try anyway, we can't help them if we're the ones sleeping," he pointed out. "I married the right man," she told him and kissed him before leaving for their room.

Jim took a peek into the bedroom. His wife was right. They _were_ closer to each other than ever and the cat looked to be in the crack between them.

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Rick blinked his eyes open and could feel someone breathing on his face. He focused and found Kate's eyes were open and watching him. "Staring at me while I'm sleeping I take it," he questioned. Her hand rose to stroke his face. "You looked peaceful and it helped a little."

"I'm sorry Kate, really. I can't give you back your 5 lost years and I can't give you back the baby. I can't even tell you when the baby would have been born or if it was a boy or a girl. If it would have had your eyes, hair, legs. The baby may have just as easily looked a lot like he did. However there is one more problem to consider," he paused to see if she was sharp enough to figure it out herself.

"I might have had a miscarriage because of the drugs I was being given."

"That or worse," he said and saw her questioning face. "The drugs were damaging you internally. Bad drugs have, in the past, resulted in diseases or deformities. Your baby, because of those drugs, could have had something even worse than Batten disease."

"He would have killed both of us, wouldn't he?" she asked softly. "He already was Kate and forcing an abortion on you tells you what he thought about you giving him a child."

"He'd have killed it even if it was perfect," she realized. She and her baby were doomed from the start. "Thank you for saving me. You gave me my life back and I want it…with you." She moved her head forward to kiss him.

"Meow." _I'm still sorry._

"You didn't capture me Alexis. You didn't sell me, you didn't drug me, and you didn't try to kill me after you tired of me. All you've done since you saw me was to love me, and I love you for it." Kate moved her hand from Rick's face to pet Alexis.

"I'm sorry I wasn't your mother Alexis. I would never have left you, even if I did have the genetic marker," she swore to both Alexis and Rick. Alexis rubbed the side of her face against Kate's face.

"Purrr. Purrr." _I love you too. And I'm keeping you._

"You're perfectly healthy now Kate. You can have all the children you want," he pointed out. She looked at him in astonishment. Did Rick just say her wanted to have children with her? It brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes as she stroked his face and reached out to kiss the tip of his nose.

She had a future when she didn't even know it had been stolen from her. "Are there others out there like me?" she wondered. "Exactly like you? I doubt it. Are there women who have been taken and sold? Either for sex or some other reason? Most likely, I'm sorry to say. Why?" He looked at her like he knew what she was thinking but asked the question anyway.

"Can we search for them? Between missions to save our planet, naturally," she asked. He opened his mouth and quickly closed it. He wasn't sure if it was within their rules and regulations. They weren't sent here specifically for that purpose, however he couldn't think of anything that would prevent it, so long as they completed their missions.

"We can try it until we are shut down. So long as we don't have a mission, which we presently do, I don't see why not," he agreed, as he continued to think about it and what B5 would have to say.

"Thank you!" It gave Kate another reason to love the man she was going to marry. She started to get up till she realized that she was actually naked under the sheets. Looking at Rick, all she saw was skin. "Um babe? How did we end up in bed together?" The last thing she remembered was breaking down in her mother's arms.

The sudden clearing of a throat got them both to look at the doorway. "That would be your mother and I," Jim announced. Hearing hushed voices talking got him up off of his sofa to take a look. "How are you two feeling? Any better?" He didn't move from the doorway.

"I think we're… Wait - _**YOU KNEW**_?" Kate turned her head, ready to rain down her wrath on Rick.

"Don't blame Rick too much Katie. Once your mother wants answers, she doesn't stop until she gets them," Jim cautioned her. "Your mother is…" Rick wasn't sure he had a word for Kate's mother. Certainly not just one anyway.

Kate wasn't sure how she felt about her mother knowing she had been raped over and over,ending up pregnant, and subsequently losing the baby.

"Um Dad, can you give us a minute so we can get dressed?" She wasn't showing her dad everything. He might have seen naked when she was little, but that was then, this was now.

"Right. I'll a...go inform your mother that you two are awake," Jim offered and disappeared.

They hadn't even had time to put anything on their feet when Johanna came charging in, not caring who was still showing what, and took Kate in her arms, holding her tight. "Everything will be fine Katie." Johanna didn't let go of her. "Give us a minute please, Rick?"

He found his socks and shoes then closed the bedroom door behind him. "Mom it was…" She was interrupted by Johanna. "Just listen Katie. We didn't tell you because you had no need to know this…" Only to be interrupted by Kate, who couldn't remain silent. "I had a need to know mom. It was my body, my life. I lost a baby." She was still hurting over that. Her head told her that Rick was right, but she still lost a baby.

"And your father and I lost two." Johanna quickly told Kate, who shut up and looked at her mother, surprised. "There's a reason you're an only child Katie. We found out that I was pregnant and we started making plans. I wasn't even out of my first trimester yet when I had searing pain. Your father got me to the hospital, but I had a miscarriage shortly after we got there. We were devastated and our marriage was tested," Johanna explained.

"But you had me," Kate countered.

"We tried again 2 years later after we were in a good place again, but that pregnancy wasn't you either, Katie." Johanna thought she had gotten over all of this too, but talking about deep pain was difficult. "Mom?" Was her mother telling her what she thought? Kate could feel her own tears starting. "It ended in yet another miscarriage at roughly the same time. The pain was terrible. Your father and I decided that children just weren't going to happen for us, so we gave up trying. Then suddenly I was pregnant again and it scared us both to death. I didn't work for almost 8 months. Never left home except for doctor's appointments, practically never left the bed. I did what the doctor told me to do, ate what I was told to. It was hard but we ended up with you. You're our little miracle Katie. We couldn't love you more if we tried."

Kate was wiping away her tears right along with Johanna wiping away her own. "I didn't know, you never told me," she said. Or she didn't remember being told. "You had no reason to know. It didn't affect your life. We had you and we were happy to have you," Johanna said quietly.

"And then I disappeared for 5 years." Kate suddenly couldn't imagine their pain based on the information Johanna had just shared. "Your father and I didn't argue or blame the other, but your disappearance was the closest we've ever come to losing our marriage. I quit my job and nothing your father could do could console me over losing you."

"We came up with all kinds of reasons why you were gone. You hated us and ran away. You met a boyfriend and ran off with him. You met a boyfriend and he took you prisoner. You went with some of your new friends, went swimming and drowned, then they got rid of your body because they were scared. We came up with so many theories, but that's all we had were theories." Johanna sat still on the bed and wiped away her tears.

Kate sat on the bed next to her and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sorry Katie, I never knew I was transferring my stubborn streak to you. It's my fault that you know about what happened to you. I never realized it would lead to this." Johanna was positive this was all her fault. If she hadn't unknowingly taught Kate to be so stubborn, she wouldn't have forced Rick to talk.

"You didn't steal me mom. You didn't buy me and do what he did to me. He had the baby aborted so he could keep doing what he was doing. Rick and I have talked a little. We both think that even if he hadn't aborted the baby, I would have probably had a miscarriage because of the drugs I was being given to keep me docile. And that even if I had the baby he would have taken it from me."

"I'm not sorry about how you and dad raised me Mom. Granted, I still have gaps in my memory, but I'm not sorry that I am who I am. I'm happy Mom, really happy, and I have a life. A life that looks pretty good." Kate knew she had been repaired and could have children. She was done with school since she had finished high school and had 6 years in college. She smiled as she thought about what had happened in her life. Well, lately anyway. Johanna caught that smile and it raised still more questions in her mind, but she thought better of asking Kate about what that smile meant. She just decided to rejoice that her daughter was feeling better and was back.

"You two up to doing anything today? We don't have to do anything at all if you don't want to," Johanna said hesitantly. "I think we'll be fine mom. Give us a chance to shower and we can talk." Kate was definitely feeling better. Plus doing something might help keep her mind off of it all.

"Meow. Meow." _Can I come? And I'm still sorry._

Kate picked up Alexis off the bed, moved her to her lap, and kissed her fur. "I never really thought of you as being a cat person Katie. Not that you ever actually asked for a pet, not even fish. Still I thought you would get a… " Johanna suddenly found Kate's hand over her mouth, silencing her. "You can't say that word Mom. Never, _ever_ say that word," she informed her as Kate used her other hand to point at Alexis. "Seriously?" Johanna had never heard of such a thing. "If you don't want to end up in the emergency room Mom, _**never**_ say that word."

"Meow?" _What word?_

Kate glared at Alexis for trying to bait her into saying the word. The next thing Kate knew, Alexis intentionally extended her claws and penetrated Kate's jeans just a little. "Alexis!" She lifted Alexis up out of her lap and felt Alexis hang onto her jeans for a moment. "Be nice or I'll cook your next fish first," she mildly threatened her.

"Meow." _You wouldn't!_

"Alright Katie, what's with you and the cat?" Johanna couldn't hold back any longer. "What about Alexis?" she countered trying to look innocent, which to Johanna was an instant sign of guilt. "I've watched you and Rick talking to that cat like she understands every word you two say. And more often than not, she answers back. So give Katie." Johanna stared at Kate.

She shrugged her shoulders and made a face. "Rick and I talk to Alexis. Doesn't everyone talk to their… ?" She didn't want to call Alexis a pet. She could only guess what Alexis would do being called that. Maybe even worse than hearing the word " _dog_."

Fortunately for Kate, Rick and Jim arrived after giving them some time alone. Rick knocked on the door. "All clear?" he asked after opening it without looking in. "You can come in babe." She thanked the gods for the save. She'd thank Rick personally later.

Kate, however, didn't miss the _"You've been saved this time Katie. But I have a long memory and I never give up."_ look that Johanna was giving her.

"How are you doing?" Rick walked over to Kate and kissed her head, noticing that Alexis was in her lap. "I'm fine, you?" She knew he was hurting along with her and didn't miss the _"I'm not the one who had a baby taken from me"_ look that he gave her. Kate caved under that look. "We can talk later. Right now what I need is a shower and I'm starving."

Johanna and Jim left to go to their room so they could do the same, since they had been up half the night watching over them.

She soon found herself with her arms wrapped around him while in the shower. "I'm sorry babe. I pushed and I shouldn't have." She buried her head against his chest. "Alexis was right. It was your history and you had a right to know. …I was just trying to protect you by not telling you," he told her. "So that you could carry the burden alone?" She looked up at him.

"I know the pain of loss already Kate. I also know how to deal with it." Rick left off the word _"better"_ but she heard it anyway. "And it wasn't me that lost anything this time. You had lost a lot already. Maybe someday I would have told you." He wasn't sure about that though.

"Do you actually feel better now that you know?" he questioned, looking down into her eyes.She buried her face back against his chest. No, she didn't feel better for knowing about the baby that she had lost. Maybe she deserved to know, but she could do without the pain of knowing.

And having her mother try and help by adding her own pain onto hers… She didn't yet know if that had helped or not. To know that she might not have been an only child, but maybe if one or another of her potential siblings had actually been born, would she even be there at all? And if she was the third child of a family, would she be still be herself with her current personality?

Kate kissed Rick's chest. "I love you babe," she stated with confidence. "Still interested in getting married?" he questioned. She kissed his chest again. "Hell yes! Now wash me so we can go eat breakfast. I'm starving."

The four of them soon found themselves downstairs looking at the restaurant list again. "Looks like the Purple Parrot is our only breakfast option," Kate pointed out.

Rick - PARROT BREAKFAST, Two eggs, two strips of bacon, two sausage links, biscuit and country gravy.

Kate - BREAKFAST SANDWICH, Scrambled eggs, sausage, Canadian bacon with American cheese on grilled sourdough bread.

Jim - HAM STEAK & EGGS, Grilled bone-in ham steak & two eggs.

Johanna - FRENCH TOAST SANDWICH, Our famous French toast, two eggs, two bacon strips or two sausage links.

Nothing was open that they could get a fresh fish from in the hotel so Rick went back upstairs to feed Alexis her canned salmon sprinkled with some dry cat food. "Sorry Alexis, nothing is open and we don't have anything better at home. You're on your own today til later, so try and avoid the housekeeping staff. We don't want to get thrown out. Unless you would rather spend it at home? You could use the pool," he offered her an incentive.

Jim and Johanna had decided on something to do. "Where's Alexis?" Kate whispered as Rick joined them while they tried to flag down a taxi. "She's playing in the pool," he responded quietly which confused her for a moment. Their hotel didn't have a pool. Then her light bulb lit up. "Home!" She finally caught up.


	30. Chapter 30

**CH30**

Jim and Johanna had loved the show Martha was in and they couldn't help but notice that she was on stage for almost the entire performance. She was one of the three main characters and they loved her work. "It's been a real pleasure meeting you, Martha, and we're still sorry about your divorce," Johanna told her.

"There are plenty of fish in the sea dear. It's his loss not mine. And it's been a pleasure meeting Katherine's parents. You have a beautiful daughter who has your strength and beauty. I'm sure she'll keep my son on his toes." Martha hugged both Johanna and Jim and said goodbye to Rick and Kate.

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"So where do we start?" Kate asked as she stood next to Rick in front of B5 a week later with Alexis stretched out on the dining room table. "Our friends see ballistic missiles in our future and my mother's new case is part of the start of it."

"We let your mother do her job while keeping an eye on her. We start where she's going to start. We start with who Joe Pulgotti is and why he's in prison. B5?" he inquired, activating the AI.

"Data is downloaded to your pads for you to read," B5 informed them as both of them picked up their pads off of the dining room table and headed to the living room to read.

"Convicted of killing an undercover FBI agent. Arresting NYPD officers both of which are retired now." Kate ticked off a few items. "Neither of them are overly rich and except for a few excessive force complaints, no real negative comments or written reprimands in their files during their time as detectives," Rick added. "So they both coasted through their jobs and retired with no commendations listed in their file. They took the easy way out for each case they worked on." She was not impressed with those two.

"Armen was the undercover FBI agent who had infiltrated the mob that Pulgotti was associated with. His handler didn't mention anything about his cover being blown, so why would Pulgotti kill him?" Rick kept reading.

"Armen's job was to find a mob player willing to turn state's evidence and shut down the entire mob family's operation. Wouldn't that suggest that Pulgotti knew that Armen was an FBI agent since they were alone together?" she questioned.

"Pulgotti was ready to turn on his mob family in exchange for what? A shorter prison sentence? He was an enforcer. It was his job to get people to do things they didn't want to do or just show that the mob had control. He rats out his boss and that family is broken? Was the prosecutor really going to let him go scott free?" Rick wondered.

Kate kept reading. "It says the lead prosecutor quit his job when his little girl was hit by a drunk driver who fled the scene and was never caught. Her medical bills had placed him close to bankruptcy."

"And he was replaced by his assistant who later became the assistant to the DA, followed by…Ooo this is interesting. His replacement is now the junior member of the Senate for the State of New York." Rick was reading faster so he farther along than Kate.

"So he was successful in his work. As hard as it is to believe, I'd like to think that at least a few of our Senators aren't crooks. They get paid peanuts for the job and yet all of them are multi-millionaires. Not all of them can be dirty, can they?" she queried.

"They do have access to information that the general public doesn't. But it's not our mission to arrest every Senator because they're cheating," he reminded her.

"A girl can wish Rick." Kate smiled at him. "I'm not seeing much yet that turns our planet into a radioactive ball of dust," she remarked. "No, which means we're missing something. We know the result, so who has access to push the button that has something to do with Pulgotti?" he replied.

"Okay, so who gets elected President of the United States?" she mused.

"Don't jump to conclusions. It's the military that has all the weapons. They're the ones that ordered their construction, they're the ones that service and man them. They're the ones that have created all the safe guards that are in place to prevent an accidental launch," Rick pointed out. "There's nothing in here to suggest that a high ranking Air Force official is involved. We've got some cops, prosecutors, and elected officials," she said, frustrated. "Along with one mob enforcer," she added .

"And the FBI," Rick responded. "Okay, if an FBI agent was killed wouldn't the FBI investigate one of their own?" Kate posited.

"Our problem is that B5 can only give us what has been scanned and is on someone's computer. If it's a hard copy in someone's vault or on someone's desk we won't see it," he reminded her.

"Sounds like it's time for some field work Mrs. Castle," Rick smiled at her.

"I'll take the cops if you'll take the FBI Mr. Beckett," she smiled back while she teased him.

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They all met Martha backstage after she was already dressed for her show. "Thank you for the tickets Martha. You didn't have to give us all tickets for the entire week. I know they cost money so we'll pay you back." Johanna had set her mind to finding a way to get Martha to accept some compensation.

"Nonsense, I'm happy to do it and you've already made my son happy, which is more than enough for me. Oh, I asked the cast and crew if they wanted to attend a wedding in two days, and the director and the producer have been gracious enough to give everyone the morning and afternoon off to attend the wedding. I don't think you're going to have any trouble getting the 30 people you need.

I've gotten so many congratulations today, more than I can ever remember. Thank you Katherine!" Martha hugged Kate like only a mother could do. "It's going to be a beautiful wedding, up on a mountain top called Heavenly. How prophetic." Martha sniffled back her tears and quickly grabbed a Kleenex before she ruined her make-up.

"Now go find your seats. The show is going to start soon. We don't want you missing a moment." Martha shooed them out of the backstage area.

"Break a leg mother," Rick said and got a kiss on his cheek for it.

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"Stop fidgeting or I'll never get you into this dress. It's gorgeous but it is the tightest thing I've ever seen. Suck it in Katie or I'll never get all these buttons closed." Johanna could swear she was all thumbs with those blasted buttons.

"I'm trying." Kate kept moving since she couldn't help it. She did remember to take in a deep breath and let it out and tried to think thinner.

"Finally." Johanna fastened the final button and went to retrieve the tiny headpiece that was little more than a cap on her head. Johanna pinned it into the hair that she had just earlier tucked up onto the back of Kate's head leaving long bangs down each side.

"There, what do you think?" Johanna guided her over to the single mirror that was in their little room. "Oh wait, one last thing." Johanna grabbed her little bouquet of flowers to throw later.

"Meow!" _Dad is going to forget how to talk._

"He better not, he still has to say 'I do,'" Kate replied, noticing that Johanna had watched the entire exchange. The look on her face was filled with nothing but more questions.

"You're all set. I'm going to go get your father. You're gorgeous Katie, simply gorgeous." Johanna was positive she was going to start crying even before the ceremony began.

"She's all yours Jim," Johanna sniffled. She wiped away the tears that had already started after taking one last look at their daughter. A daughter she had feared not long ago that she would never see again.

Jim walked right up to Kate and took her hands in his. "You look stunning Katie, absolutely stunning." He was beaming. "Thanks Dad."

"Shall we go?" Jim offered his arm to Kate.

Stepping outside Kate saw lots and lots of people sitting in chairs, all with their heads turned to look at her. Suddenly the idea of have a big group wasn't such a good idea. She didn't recognize any of them.

Jim could feel her shaking. "It's just nerves Katie, you'll be fine."

"So many people Dad." It was all she saw.

She didn't hear the wedding march in the beginning. She only knew that her dad started walking slowly past all the people. So many people all looking at her. Kate was sure she was either going to collapse, vomit, or just plain start running.

Then she saw Rick step into view in the distance and he was holding Alexis in his hands. Suddenly Kate had tunnel vision. The wedding march reached her ears, Rick's and Alexis's eyes found hers, and she picked up her pace.

She had no idea when her dad left her, only that she was looking Rick squarely in the eye and could not do anything else. She didn't see the minister or even the two photographers, one taking stills while the other was videotaping everything.

She finally noticed the minister as he spoke and asked Rick to repeat after him. Kate opened and closed her mouth several times, being so lost in the moment til finally the words "I DO" fell from her lips as she watched as Rick slip her wedding ring from Alexis's paws then slid it on her finger. Now she had to pay attention as she had to recite the words to Rick and watched him confidently say "I do."

"Meow." _I do too._

She had resisted crying up to that point but hearing Alexis's agreeing was just too much and the tears flowed down her face. Kate found her ring for him that Martha and Johanna had helped her pick out for him and slid it on his finger.

"It is with pleasure that I present Mr. and Mrs. Richard Castle," The minister introduced them to all who attended. And then it started to rain.

It rained rice and flower pedals as Rick stepped in and kissed her soundly then he used his thumbs to gently wipe her tears away. "I love you Mrs. Castle."

"I love you too, Mr. Castle," Kate responded tearfully and kissed him again, followed by throwing the bouquet.

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Kate needed information from B5 so she could find out what police precinct was involved in the death of Bob Armen. "B5 activate," she called out as she walked into the kitchen.

However instead of a bunch of blinking lights showing up on the wall, a picture of her and Rick getting married appeared. It was life size.

She sucked in a breath, surprised that she got to see it in that scale. It was what her parents and Rick's mother saw along with all the other guests. Kate's eyes went everywhere til they finally landed on her own eyes and those of Rick. Even in the picture she could see love shining out.

"B5 operational, Mrs. Castle," B5 responded.

Hearing that instantly brought tears to her eyes. She was Mrs. Castle now; she looked down at her left hand and played with the rings on her finger. "Thanks."

Kate almost forgot what she came in there for. "I need the location and name of the person in charge of Bob Armen's case. What precinct were Raglan and McCallister working from?"

"Captain Roy Montgomery of the 12th precinct, though he was not the captain while Raglan and McCallister were detectives," B5 responded.

"Where was he then?" She might as well get all the basics. "He was a rookie who was assigned to them," B5 informed her. Kate's eyes widened. "Really!?" She found that very interesting.

"I'm going to need an ID to get into the police station and to get their captain to talk to me. What do you suggest?" she asked and watched as B5 spat out an ID card. "I'm also likely to need something to get me into the archives so I can find what I need to read," she added and watched a piece of paper slide out of the wall. She hoped no one would notice that she wasn't carrying a weapon.

"Guess it's a good thing that I at least have a tie," she said, smiling.

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He was going over his endless amount of paperwork when his phone rang. "Montgomery." He listened for a moment and didn't bat an eye. "Send her up."

He didn't have any cases that would bring them in so why she was here was a surprise. He sat back and waited. Not that he had long to wait as he watched a striking young woman asking for directions and being pointed in his direction.

She was lovely with long brown hair that was pinned up on the back of her head. In her case she seemed to have skipped wearing a blazer though she had the ever present tie. She gave a quick knock and walked in without waiting for him to acknowledge her. "Captain Montgomery. I'm Special Agent Katherine Beckett." She introduced herself and showed him her ID card.

She suddenly noticed that his eyes lit up. "Katherine Becektt, as in Jim and Johanna Beckett's daughter?" Roy was very familiar this this woman.

"Correct Captain. I don't believe my parents have mentioned you before." Kate was taken off guard and didn't understand how he knew her parents.

"Your parents reported you missing over 5 years ago; they came in here constantly trying to find out if we had any new information on your disappearance. I'm surprised to see you agent." Roy was instantly suspicious.

"The FBI and US Marshals had their reasons, or so I was told. It put pressure on my parents for a time, but everything is good now Captain. Thank you for your concern," she said.

"A little young for the FBI aren't you?" He thought the minimum age for entrance was 23.

"I learned a lot while I was in their care and was granted an exception, though my field work is limited." Kate hoped it was enough. She really wished she had done more research, though she hadn't talked to her parents about what they had done while she was missing, or to whom they talked with.

"I have a warrant allowing me to read all hard copies in your office concerning one John Raglan and one Gary McCallister." She handed over her piece of paper.

Kate hoped a distraction would take him off the subject. Roy took the warrant and read it. "This doesn't allow you to take our records, only to read them," he informed her. "That won't be a problem Captain, I have an excellent memory." She told him a white lie, since she would be using her finger to scan everything which would then be stored in her arm and downloaded to B5. So in a way her memory _was_ perfect.

He didn't like the sudden interest in Raglan and McCallister, but he couldn't ignore her paperwork either. Roy picked up his phone and ordered an officer to his office.

"How are your parents Ms. Beckett?" he inquired, since the last time he had seen them they were about ready to crack.

"They're doing great at the moment. Mom is even going to start looking into opening her own office again." Kate told him the truth, since the Pulgotti case was actually her first case.

"LT, please escort Agent Beckett down to Archives. You know the drill," Roy instructed him. "Sir." LT motioned for Kate to precede him to the elevator.

"Thank you Captain. I'll be sure to mention that I met you to my parents. I'm positive they'll love the coincidence of it," she said and followed LT over to the elevator, leaving Roy to once again look over the piece of paper she had left behind. It was simple and direct, just like he would expect it to be. The signature was impossible to read of course, which was no surprise. His own signature was impossible to decipher.

It took some time but she now had a number of boxes in front of her. They contained every case file or information on John Raglan for his entire career as a detective. Kate would have been ready to shoot herself if it had been left to her to read all of these. Fortunately she had a finger.

She went through page after page and pointed her finger at each and every page then did the same for the countless boxes of Gary McCallister.

LT knocked and poked his head in Roy's office. "You wanted to see me sir?"

"Is our guest still down there?" Roy queried, hoping she had seen the mountain in front of her and had left instead of reading it all.

"Yes sir. She actually finished reading everything on Raglan about an hour ago and is now working on McCallister," LT informed him, which had Roy worried. No one had shown any interest in those two in years, so why now?

She was very glad she wasn't actually reading all those files. It was just way too much to take in and make sense of. Good thing B5 was an AI, this stuff was right up her alley.

Kate knocked on Roy's door. "Thank you for the files Captain. As soon as I obtain another court order I'll be back. The files were most useful for my report." She turned to leave.

"I take it you found something then?" Roy was hoping she would share so he knew how much trouble he was in. "Indeed I did Captain. Indeed I did." She smiled and exited his office.

That left Roy wondering what was going on. Katherine Beckett went missing for 5 years only to turn up in his office with official documentation. Suddenly he needed more information on one Katherine Beckett. The problem was there was only one person he could ask to get it for him. It would get him in even deeper than he already was.

"Hi babe." Kate walked into the kitchen after getting home where she found Rick in front of B5 obtaining what he needed.

"How did it go?" He knew she got out into the field first.

"I had a slight problem. Seems the captain of Raglan and McCallister is the same captain my parents went to while I was missing in North Korea. I stupidly used my own name on my ID that B5 gave me, though he would likely have recognized me anyway."

"Oops. Can we expect trouble from him?" he inquired.

"Probably. I need to get another court order from B5 and go back to read all of _his_ files. His name was associated a little too often with Raglan and McCallister," she informed him and walked up to B5, placed her finger on the panel then had B5 download everything she had found.

"Where are you going?" Kate asked while holding her finger in place.

"The New York Field Office of the FBI in about 4 hours. I want to give them time to shut down for the day and just have a nighttime skeleton crew," he replied.

"You know it's going to be heavily monitored," she warned.

"Yeah, but everywhere I go their security cameras are going to shut down until I pass. Just need to find the right desk, which is going to be a major problem," Rick conceded.

"Be careful, …Mr. Beckett." Kate smiled at her tease and kissed his cheek.

"I'm married Mrs. Castle. I have even more reasons now to be careful," he replied, returning her kiss. "In the meantime shall I start dinner?" Kate nodded and kissed him soundly this time.

"Maybe some desert after you get back?" she suggested, offering him an incentive to coming home safely.

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To view the wedding dress modify this link as necessary.

http colon slash slash www dot essensedesigns dot com slash stella-york slash wedding-dresses slash detail slash 6176

Put a real slash in place of the word slash and a real dot in place of the word dot. It should work. Or simply google "Stella York wedding dresses detail 6176." It was enough for me when I tested it.

Good luck.


	31. Chapter 31

**CH31**

Greetings readers. I'm going to be blunt here. If or when Kate or Rick answers the question about divorce with a yes, I'm done writing for this show and this story. I'll drop this story and the two future stories i have in mind in a heartbeat. As well as cancel my recording of the series to watch later.

Just so you know.

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Kate kissed Rick. "Be careful babe, I don't want to have to come rescue you again." She smiled at Rick while he glared at her. "Ready to go Alexis?" He bent down to pick her up and gave her a quick pet.

"You stay safe too, Alexis." Kate kissed her head.

"Meow." _We'll be great._

Both of them were gone in a swirl of clouds. Kate walked over to B5. "I need that court order for all of Captain Montgomery's case files. There is something going on with those three."

"You are correct Katherine. My preliminary analysis shows that the three of them were working together for some time. I'm still running checks on what was happening during that time. Phone records indicate that they were in communication a great deal. There is also an unlisted phone that called the three of them or they called over an extended period of time," B5 informed her.

"So there's a fourth person?" This case was getting more complicated the deeper they looked into it. "Continue reading what I found. We have to keep my mother safe. And why are cops involved with the mob?"

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Rick showed up in an unused room on one of the floors housing the FBI in Manhattan, New York. He had a name to start with and that office wasn't his. He put Alexis down on the floor. "Keep your eyes and ears open Alexis."

"Meow?" _Don't I always?_

He cracked the door open, pointed a finger, then opened the door completely. Alexis bounded out of the room and headed down the wall with open seating in the middle that was all empty.

"Meow." _Clear_ _D_ _ad._

He looked around and saw offices up against the wall with open seating in the middle. "I'm guessing our guy would have a corner office at the very least," he suggested, and watched Alexis bound down the offices on the side.

Rick followed, conscious that someone was likely still there. One office down, he found the first agent pulling an all nighter. The big problem was all of these offices were filled with glass from floor to ceiling. It left him no way to sneak past. But the windows did have blinds and he had all of the lights on. Rick pointed a finger and suddenly the blinds snapped closed followed by all of the lights going out. That allowed Rick to quickly walk past his office. Then he pointed a finger and made all of the lights start flashing like a strobe light before coming back on and staying that way, followed by the blinds snapping back open. Then he made the agent's phone ring by pointing a finger. When the agent finally got himself under control and answered the phone, all he heard was the screeching sound of a fax machine trying to talk to another one.

"You should go home, you've been here too long," he spoke into his finger before the agent had a chance to put the phone back down.

Rick found Alexis standing in front of a door in the corner with no other doors anywhere close. He liked it and trying to open it, found that it was locked. Pointing a finger at the lock fixed that allowing Rick and Alexis to slip inside permitting the security cameras for the area outside of that door to snap back on.

"Yeah, this looks like the place. Watch the door Alexis," he whispered and headed straight for the wall of filing cabinets that was up against one wall. He tried the first one and soon found all of them locked. "You'd think the FBI didn't trust anyone," he muttered to himself.

One finger later and he found more files than even Kate had found at the precinct. "This is going to take some time Alexis," he said and pointed his finger at the door re-locking it.

"Meow." _I'm not going anywhere_ _D_ _ad._

There were three banks of storage cabinets that each had 4 drawers; all but the last two drawers were packed with files. Rick was tiring of the repetition. Pull out a file and run his finger over each and every page while using the last file to mark his place, telling him which file to pull out next.

"Meow!" _Someone's coming!_

Alexis ran across the carpet to hide under the desk while Rick put the file back, closed the drawer, and stepped into the space behind the door, his finger at the ready.

It turned out to be a lazy guard who hadn't seen any action in his life and likely wouldn't know what to do if he did. He simply unlocked the door, poked his head in and looked around before closing it again, re-locking it before moving on.

"And that's what I pay my tax dollars for," Rick softly grumbled and was tempted to find out who the guard was and get him fired. But even he deserved a job, so Rick went back to his filing cabinet and picked up where he left off while Alexis sat down at the door.

He finally finished all of the files in the cabinets and turned his focus to Mike Warren's desk, the Assistant Director in charge of the New York Field Office.

This time Rick looked it all over to determine if there was something that any normal thief might not notice. A paper clip that would fall out when a drawer was opened. A post-it note that got wrinkled.

Rick started with his calendar then checked for any listening devices on his desk when his finger started pulsing, which caused him to lift an eyebrow in surprise. He moved his finger til he found what he was looking for which was actually under the AD's office chair.

Someone was spying on the assistant director of the FBI? Didn't the idiot have his office swept from time to time? Rick wasn't an expert on local listening devices, it was rather small and it was really slim.

He wondered if there were more surveillance devices so he moved his finger around the room and started scanning the windows, finding what he was looking for. Through the window he could see a tiny box that was likely glued to the side of the building. He pointed his finger at it so that B5 could analyze it and tell him later.

He still had a desk to search and then had an idea. Rick lifted a finger to his mouth and started whispering. "I want you to change the signal frequency to one you can monitor and if you can, encrypt it." He wanted to see if someone came looking to find out why their bug was no longer working.

Using his finger he scanned everything he found in the desk right up until he found a cell phone in a locked box inside the locked desk. Opening it he found that the phone still worked, though the battery was almost dead. He scanned it with his finger and put it back where he found it.

Rick now felt secure that no one was listening anymore. "Time to go home Alexis." She bounded over to the desk and jumped up onto it where Rick picked her up and disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

Kate was sitting up in bed finding it hard to get to sleep without Rick next to her. She didn't want to be thought of as clingy, however she couldn't deny the attraction that drew her closer to Rick. It was like an addiction. She wanted him close, skin to skin close especially.

She heard Alexis bounding down the hall before she saw Alexis come running into the room and jumped up on the bed. Alexis wasn't Rick but she would do. Alexis walked right up to her as Kate put her book aside.

Kate took Alexis in her arms and kissed the top of her head. "Hi Alexis, how are you?"

"Meow." _It was boring._

She started to chuckle softly. She hadn't known that Alexis liked this job as much as she did. If Alexis was home then so was… "How did it go babe?" Kate watched Rick walk into the bedroom. He was mildly surprised to see that she was still up.

"They have a lot of files and that was just the ones in the assistant director's office. I did find out something interesting though," he said and began taking off his clothes under Kate's watchful gaze.

"Do tell." She could use a distraction as he continued to shed clothes.

"He had a burner cell phone that was locked up and his office is bugged by someone." He tossed his boxers onto a nearby chair, crawled into bed, then watched her let go of Alexis. A look of shock came over her face. "Seriously?" Kate's attention was now off of Rick's naked body.

"I changed the transmitter signal. Hopefully whomever put it there will come to find out what happened to it," he told her as he snuggled up close to Kate who automatically wrapped her arms around him.

"Rick, babe, …what the hell is going on? The police are involved, the mob is involved, and now the FBI is somehow involved or at least being watched. Though that burner phone raises questions."

"It's sounding worse and worse all the time. That burner phone suggests involvement with yet someone else." Rick kissed Kate's cheek. "It suggests that the FBI is in on it or at least the head of the New York field office." She tried to think though Rick's kisses and his hands were making things difficult.

"If he's in on it, why bug his office? What is the connection between them? Did Raglan, McCallister, and Montgomery stumble into something too big for them? Pulgotti was just a low grade enforcer not a mob boss. What connects all of them?"

She couldn't take it any longer and returned his passionate kisses while rising up to straddle him. She took his hands and guided them to her breasts while she leaned down to kiss him, starting a tongue war inside of his mouth. She finally broke from the kiss. "Make love to me babe. I want to feel you, all of you. I want to feel that you love me as much as I love you."

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Kate woke up and found that she was all alone in their bed. The sheets were not yet cold so he hadn't been gone long. Alexis was missing too, so she thought maybe he was downstairs in the kitchen feeding her. That was until she heard the shower turn on which brought a smile to her face.

She hurried out of bed, slipped into the shower, and wrapped her arms around "her man" as Maddie put it. And yes, he was her man. Kate kissed his bare back. "Wash me?"

Kate loved his hands and the way he used his hands and his lips while washing her. Feeling him wash her core with his fingers always left her weak in the knees, having to hold onto him just to keep standing.

Today she paid him back by washing him. This included a personal bath of his penis using her mouth and tongue to make sure every inch of him was clean. She heard him call out her name as she felt him come down her throat, swallowing all of it.

Kate didn't understand how, but after all of the orgasms she had last night plus the one in the shower this morning, she still wanted him as she watched him put his clothes on. It was almost enough for her to walk over to him, pull his pants and boxers down, and do it all over again.

Maybe she could tease him all day till Rick had to take her somewhere in the house. Then it hit her. They had made passionate love to each other when what she wanted now was to be fucked. Bent over a table and taken from behind.

Kate hadn't found a good time to use her restraints yet. She needed to introduce him to them, so that maybe he would use them on her. Yes, she would tease him as often as possible today and then tie him to the bed and do whatever she wanted to do to him.

"Where are you off to today?" Rick asked as they ate the breakfast that he cooked as well as some fresh fruit. As usual Alexis's breakfast was on the countertop.

"After I get my warrant from B5 I'm heading back to the 12th precinct again. This time I want to get everything Captain Montgomery has ever done."

"Is that wise? He knows you were missing for at least 5 years, only to turn up as an agent. An underage agent no less," he remarked. He was more than willing to take her place.

"Actually I think I want him nervous. Maybe he'll do something and give us a new lead," she countered. "Besides it's a police precinct, what can he do?" Kate had her fingers and her jewel in her hand.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I need to work with B5 to find out what was in all those files. Is he working alone or does he have help and who is that help? …And is it only New York or is it other field offices. Maybe there is a clue that connects all of these people - the cops, the mob, and the FBI. Was Armen an accident or was he sacrificed for something?" he pondered.

"Or was he murdered because he learned something?" Kate put forth, getting Rick to nod. After rinsing her dishes, she put them into the dishwasher. "Are we still on for Q3 tonight?" She was looking forward to seeing Maddie again.

"Not a problem." Rick started rinsing his dishes and what he used to make breakfast while Kate got her warrant from B5. "See you later babe, love you." She disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

"I love you too." Rick told the empty space. "Okay B5, give me a summary of what we have from yesterday. …Hold that thought." He held up his hand, picked up the phone, and made a call.

"Hi Johanna, it's Rick. I was wondering if you two would like to go out to dinner with us tonight. We were headed for Q3 tonight at 7:30." Rick offered to take Kate's parents with them. It meant leaving Alexis behind since the kitchen table only had room for four, forcing them to sit in the dining room this time.

"I would love to Rick, let me check with Jim and call you back. It would be good to see Madison again." Johanna loved the idea and hung up on him so she could find her husband.

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Captain Montgomery picked up his ringing phone and listened. "Send her up," Roy sighed. He had hoped she wouldn't be back and force him to do something he didn't want to.

Kate knocked on his door before stepping inside. "Captain, it's good to see you again." She handed over her court order that allowed her to see all of the case files that he had worked on over the years.

"I don't know what you hope to gain from all of these records. They're just a bunch of old case files; most are solved and some are cold cases." Roy called LT into his office.

Kate decided to push him a little and leaned onto his desk which allowed her to lean in closer to him. "I intend to find out what you three were up to when you were together. An FBI agent is dead because of it." She stood up straight to give him some space and a chance to think it over.

Roy instantly knew what she was referring to. "That is a closed case and has a convicted person in jail for it."

"So you do remember that day. Good to know," she told him and didn't see him react to his having admitted that he was involved. "His family deserves the truth, just like mine did, and like my case, I'm going to find it for them," she informed him.

"Let's go LT." Kate watched him come in and walked out of Roy's office down to the archives with LT in tow. Just as they reached the elevator Kate watched a woman with fiery red hair step out and march her way into the middle of the bullpen with determination.

Kate watched her ask someone a question and start marching for Roy's office just as the doors closed. Hearing her high heels clack all the way. Kate had noticed that she was well dressed and her complexion was really light. It reminded her of someone, however she just couldn't place it and her mind switched to the job at hand.

Roy hated doing this but they were all in trouble and he didn't have any contacts that he could count on. He had the burner phone in his hand with his finger over the call button. It wasn't that he himself was afraid of prison, he just didn't want to drag his family through the mud.

"Yes?" the man on the other end answered.

"I have an agent down in archives going over all of Raglan's, McCallister's and my case files. She had a court order allowing her access. It's read only," Roy told him.

There is no response for a time. "I'll look into it," he finally responded and hung up on Roy with no further comment.

Roy put his burner phone away and tried go back to work. Just how did a woman missing for 5 years become an agent at only 20 years old? He opened a drawer, pulled out a partially empty bottle of whiskey along with a glass, poured a small amount then put the bottle back.

He was still nursing his glass as he wondered what he was going to do? Had he just condemned the young woman to an early grave? He knew he couldn't just sit back and let things happen. No, he was pro-active about things. Roy finished off his glass followed by putting it back in the drawer before going back to his paperwork. And then in walked a somewhat pale skinned woman with red hair. The determined look on her face left him thinking that she had trouble written all over her.

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Rick was up in his office working on his next book while letting B5 go through all of the files he had scanned earlier when his finger started pulsing, telling him that B5 wanted him. He saved his work, pressed the gem in his hand, and was soon standing in front of B5, having left Alexis behind in his office. "What's up?"

"I have monitored the Assistant Director of the FBI for the New York Field Office receiving a phone call on the burner phone that you found. The existing bug only allows me to hear on his end."

"He mentioned that he has no agents issuing court orders to review archives in the 12th precinct, and that he will have someone look into it," B5 informed him.

"Interesting, let's hear it."

"Sir, Agent Sorenson is here to see you," what sounded like a receptionist told him. "Thank you, send him in."

Moments later they heard the door close. "You sent for me?" a new voice inquired. "You know anything about an agent obtaining a court order to view the files in the 12th precinct's archives to review everything on Raglan, McCallister, or Montgomery?" he asked, though it sounded like he already knew the answer.

"No, sir. Anything to do with those three that hits my desk gets buried never to be seen again. Is this for real? Has someone from another office sent someone?" Sorenson asked a few questions.

"Without informing the assistant director of the local branch? I know of only a handful of those kinds of people and none of them are interested in these three or even this field office. Get on it. Find out who it is and get eyes on this person. We need information," he ordered.

"Yes, sir. Do I put an end to it sir?"

Sorenson watched him shake his head which pissed him off a little. "Not until we figure out who sent him. Getting rid of him will simply alert who sent him to our presence. This is an eyes on them only. Now get moving, we need information."

"Yes, sir." Sorenson accepted the order and left the office.

"B5, please inform Kate that she can expect company shortly so she needs to hurry before this Sorenson shows up. Please tell me that you used the proper paper for those court orders," Rick asked just to make sure.

"Affirmative, both of them should be nothing but tiny balls of white by now. There is nothing for anyone to see," B5 assured him. "Katherine has been warned. She has responded that she isn't finished yet and has asked for Alexis to watch her back."

"MEOW!" _Take me there dad, PLEASE!_


	32. Chapter 32

**CH32**

She was busy scanning documents when she almost jumped out of her skin as Alexis jumped up onto the desk she was using. Kate had a hand over her heart willing it to calm down. "God, Alexis! A little warning next time." It didn't stop her from taking Alexis in her arms and kissing her furry head.

"Meow." _I brought_ _D_ _ad with me._

Kate turned her head to see Rick come down her aisle and walk up to her. "Hey babe," she said in greeting. He bent down to give her a quick kiss. "You've got maybe 30 minutes tops before a real FBI agent gets here. And it sounded like a bad guy FBI agent by the name of Sorenson. B5 is working on finding out who he is, where he lives, and if he's in any of those files I scanned," he warned her.

She assimilated that information and looked around at the boxes she still had to go through. "Not enough time. I'll never finish all these in 30 minutes."

"Which ones have you not finished?" he asked and watched as she pointed and swept her arm at the others. There was only the one desk and one chair, so Rick grabbed a box and sat down on the floor. "Alexis?" Rick asked.

"Meow." _On it_ _D_ _ad._ Alexis trotted to the only entrance to watch for anyone coming.

Except for being uncomfortable, the situation reminded Rick of something as he pulled out file after file.

With the sergeant distracted, FBI Agent Will Sorenson pulled out his lock picks and got to work on the door. With a satisfied smile he opened the door to find a locked gate just inside. Closing the door behind him he got to work on the gate, not noticing a cat running away.

"Meow." _We have company._

They both finished with the files they had in hand and stuffed them back in their respective boxes. "Time to go," Rick announced and picked up Alexis. "Should we stay and question him?" Kate queried, suggesting an option. "We can question him whenever we chose. Let's give B5 some time to digest all of this. Plus this guy has to go back empty handed. We can find out what happens when he does that."

"I've asked your parents to join us at Q3 tonight. You can quiz your mother over her new case. If we're going to protect her, we need to know what she knows," Rick stated. Kate nodded in agreement. She had just gotten her parents back; she was in no hurry to lose one of them now.

Rick pressed his gem as Kate pressed hers. They both arrived in the dining room in front of B5.

Will went through the gate, pulled out his service weapon, and started searching. The space was massive and it was going to take some time. Still it only took a couple of minutes for him to find the desk with all of the boxes sitting around it. He pulled out a couple of files to determine what they were. The ones he looked at all had one person in common. Roy Montgomery. His boss wasn't going to like this. Even worse, he heard the gate being opened. Now he had a new problem, but he knew what to do with that problem.

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"I don't know about you, but I feel like using the pool before tonight," Kate said as she ran a hand across Rick's chest. She put a little sway in her hips as she headed for the basement.

"Meow." _Tag, you're it_ _D_ _ad._ Alexis bounded out of the kitchen and headed for the basement with the intent of beating Kate into the pool.

He headed for their bedroom to look for his swim trunks and was slightly confused that Kate wasn't in there changing with him. He had been looking forward to seeing his wife strip off her clothes so she could put on one of her skimpy little bikinis.

Alexis made it to the pool just in time to watch a naked Kate jump in and start swimming.

"Meow." _This could be fun._

Alexis turned into a tiger and went to lay on one of the steps so she could get cool while she watched Kate swim and waited for her dad to show up.

Kate was in the deep end of the pool when Rick showed up wearing his swim trunks and found her clothes mostly piled up just short of the pool. "A little overdressed there, aren't you Rick?" she called out from the other end. She finally got him to notice her and as he gazed down into the water, he could make out that she wasn't wearing anything. He started walking towards the deep end. "Lose the trunks or go back upstairs," she informed him, getting him to stop and slowly strip off his trunks. He stood there for a moment, giving her a good look before jumping in and swimming for her.

Her legs were grabbed and she was pulled under water where he wrapped his arms around her and started kissing her. They both headed for the surface where she held his face and went back to kissing him. That didn't last long since she was sinking even with all the kicking she was doing so she reached out a hand to hold onto the side of the pool like Rick was doing. That gave him a chance to start kissing her neck while his free hand fondled one of her breasts.

Kate switched to kissing Rick's lips while her other hand found his semi-erect penis and started working on making it harder. She moaned into the kiss when she felt his hand work its way down her body and start stroking the folds of her core. She held his erection while rubbing the head with her thumb and playing with the tiny slit at the tip. His hand was under her leg, lifting it up. She soon felt the tip of his erection, of which she had just let go, brush against her entrance. She wanted nothing more than to feel him ram himself deep inside her and fuck her brains out.

"Rick, babe, …no condom." Kate barely had enough presence of mind to stop him from entering her, plus she couldn't let him come yet. She had plans for him after dinner. She wanted him as horny as she could get him when they got home. He moaned loudly. It made her smile as he let go of her leg and buried his face into her neck. As a consolation she kissed him deeply. She broke from the kiss and with tears rolling down her face said, "I love you and I'm so glad to be Mrs. Castle."

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Kate was sitting at her make-up vanity wearing only her nude strapless bra and panties with her gown already laid out on the bed. It was the evening gown with the see through top that Madison had talked her into buying on their shopping trip. Kate wanted Rick's eyes glued to her chest all night long. He was in the closet searching for what he wanted to wear.

"Meow." _You're up to something Kate._

Kate smiled while feeling herself getting wet just thinking about tonight. "I have no idea what you are talking about Alexis." She finished with her make-up, walked into the closet half naked to search for her shoes, and watched him watching every move she made. She was just slipping on her dress and picking up her shoes when he came out mostly dressed. She walked past him on the way to her chair so she could get into her heels. Madison had told her she needed practice walking in them so tonight was going to be a practice night. "Hungry Rick?" she purred at him as she ran a hand across his chest while smiling up at him.

"Don't stay up Alexis, I'll bring you a kitty bag from Maddie," Kate told Alexis as they stepped into the garage to get in the car. Rick had the car started and was reaching for the remote to open the garage door. "Kitty bag?" he teased. "If I said doggie bag, we would need to change clothes and likely run out of Band-aids," she pointed out, getting Rick to chuckle. "Babe, why does Alexis hate dogs so much?" She was really curious about that.

Rick thought about how to answer that question so he could get his words right. "You spent 7 plus years training, having your body made perfect. Every artery, muscle, every organ. Then they had to teach you how to use your arms all over again. Followed by teaching you how to use your fingers and giving you practical exercises in what you could do with them," he began and watched Kate nod.

She remembered it well. In-between those times she was in school. She finished high school then continued on to college with classes that would help her as a Class One Supervisor. Rick had Alexis to look forward to. Kate had Rick to look forward to, his voice and his scent helped her make it.

"Alexis was downloaded into her collar, something she had to get used to. She had to learn how to use the cat body she was given. Re-learn how to do everything like we did with our arms, except in her case, it was her entire body. Learn how to walk on all fours. How to feel, how to even see since cats don't see things like we do. Add to that she was just a cat and she needed to be able to protect herself," he paused to allow Kate to think. "Hence the tiger." She now understood the tiger part. "And learn how to do all of that as a tiger, not just a cat," she added.

Rick nodded. "She had to learn how to handle more power in a bigger body. More power even than any real Bengal tiger alive. You remember your combat exercises?"

"Don't remind me. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, they gave me this three armed guy who kicked my ass week after week. I still don't know why I don't have permanent bruises." It was only a lot of work when Kate was taking on several of the three armed guys and finally winning.

"Alexis had to be able to defend herself, too. In her case they used dogs as her opponents. The better she got, the better and bigger the dogs got. In tiger form she was defending herself against dogs twice her size. They wanted something that could keep up with her if she ran. Something that had the power to keep up with her. The power to bite her and damage her severely. Day after day, week after week, year after year."

"I hated those three armed guys. Alexis learned to hate dogs. I think she sees them as something that would keep her from being with me. In her eyes dogs just have to go," he explained.

"When I went on the mission where I found you, they had dogs patrolling the grounds. We were just reaching the front door when she took off and changed into her tiger form. All I heard was a dog yelp in pain and then whimper for a moment. She came back in as a cat, sat down, and started licking her paws. Make no mistake Kate, Alexis will hurt anyone who is a threat to either one of us and is entirely capable of doing just that."

" _Alexis loves you and has no plans on losing you._ _"_ was the message she heard. It was enough that Kate swore to herself that she was getting Alexis anything her heart desired. Even more for her one hour every two years. Alexis had her heart as much as Rick did.

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"We have reservations for four under Castle," Rick told the two hostesses in the reception area.

"Yes sir, your table is ready for you and your guests are already here," one of them responded, which got Kate to look past her and search the dining room, finding her parents because her mother was waving her arms, not being at all bashful. Kate left Rick behind and headed over to them. "I think we've spotted them, thank you." He hurried to catch up to Kate.

"Katie!" Johanna was up and hugging Kate while Rick shook hands with Jim. "How are you two doing?" Johanna questioned. "And where is Alexis?" She was sure these two never went anywhere without her. "We thought sitting out here with a cat might get Madison in trouble so she's at home," he explained. "I promised to bring her a kitty bag to appease her," Kate said smiling. "A kitty bag." Johanna chuckled. Those two were something else.

Madison walked up. "Becks, Jo, Jim, and Rick! It's so good to see you all here. Dinner is on me tonight, order anything you want."

"Maddie no, that's not necessary." Kate was willing to let Rick pay since he was the only one of them that was making money, something they needed to talk about soon.

"Of course it is. I had to hear from your parents that you two went and got married without inviting me, which makes me so mad at you two… This is my wedding present to the two of you and that's final." Madison tried to use the glare that Johanna had taught her on Kate.

"Sorry about that." Kate felt a little bad about it. "It was a little sudden and everything just kind of dropped into place so perfectly. We have pictures and a video we can show you. All you have to do is come by and I'll put it up in the video room for you," she offered. "So long as there is food and Kleenex, I'll be there," Madison promised.

"Kim here is going to help you. If there is anything you want just ask her and we'll find it for you."

"I'm so happy for you Becks. You deserve someone to love you. I'll be back before you leave." Madison left them in Kim's hands.

After Kim brought their drink orders, Kate asked, "How's your new case going Mom?" Rick and Kate needed information. "I was out at the prison yesterday to interview him and you wouldn't believe what kind of story he had for me." Johanna had been surprised. Her only problem was proving any of it. "A mob enforcer with a story. Drugs, prostitution, money laundering. Did I miss anything?" Kate asked.

"Okay, I get your point. Yes, he was involved with the mob but it wasn't his job to kill people. Break knee caps, a finger or two, maybe even an arm. But murder someone? Who just so happened to be an FBI agent? And why did the FBI not take over the case? It was their man who got killed. Why leave it to the police? Dirty police at that." Johanna suddenly shut-up since she was sure she had said too much already.

"I didn't know you believed in conspiracies," Kate queried. "Police, FBI, and all they can come up with is an arm breaker who suddenly turns killer. Something stinks. Just the kind of case I like." Johanna was in heaven. Pulgotti may not be a saint but that didn't make him a murderer.

"So what's next?" They needed to be out in front of her if they were going to protect her."Police report and interviews. I need the case files. I'll issue the subpoenas for that tomorrow. And make an appointment with the FBI at the same time." Johanna had a busy day planned.

Kim was back to take their orders and refill their drinks.

Rick and Kate had what they needed for now so the conversation was more casual as Madison showed up to talk them into dessert. "Your food is just too good Maddie, we don't have room for dessert." Kate spoke for all of them. "Fine, I'll try and let my dessert chief down easy. He's concocted a new take on strawberry shortcake that would burst your taste buds." Madison had tried it which was why it was on the menu.

"I'm in." Rick said as he raised a finger. "Me too." Jim raised his hand. Madison looked at Kate and Johanna. "You can bring an extra two forks," Johanna requested, convinced she and Kate could sneak at least a bite or two from their husbands.

"Husband!? …I still can't get over that. My missing daughter is married." Johanna reached for one of Jim's hands and squeezed it. So much pain to get to this point in life. Kate smiled since her mother was the first to call Rick her husband and her heart soared over that.

"Oh, Maddie, I just remembered I need a kitty bag for Alexis. And don't forget about coming over to the house," Kate reminded her. "I'll be over to see those pictures and that video, so keep them handy Becks." Madison wanted to see them and left to intercept Kim to give her their dessert order.

Rick dropped a Franklin on the table as they were leaving while Jim added a Jackson. Since they didn't get a bill, Rick was forced to guess what was appropriate.

"I expect to see you two this Sunday evening for dinner at our place this time. I'm cooking and I just might let you bring the dessert if it's that strawberry shortcake and maybe a bottle of wine. AND those wedding pictures, I want to see those again too," Johanna warned them just outside the front door.

Kate quickly ran inside to find Madison, picked up the kitty bag, placed a future order, and invited her to the very same dinner. Kate was sure her mother wouldn't mind. "Think I could bring Kyle?" Madison asked. "You're going to expose your boyfriend to all of us finally?" Kate hugged Madison as her answer. "In that case bring two more desserts and Rick and I will add another two bottles of wine."

"Try not to scare him away Becks." Madison was risking it a little and she knew it. "You must like him," Kate commented smiling. "Maybe," Madison hedged. "This is going to be great. Don't be late." She pointed her finger at Madison and went back outside.

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"Come on, we have to hurry." Rick took her hand and jogged to their car. "Why? What's up?" Kate asked as she closed the car door. He fired up the car and almost rocketed out of the parking lot. "RICK! What the hell is going on?" She scrambled to fasten her seat belt.

"I want to catch up to your parents' car," he explained as he searched the road ahead trying to take a route that he hoped Jim was taking to get to their apartment. **"SHIT!"** he cursed as he saw their car going down a side street forcing him to do a U-turn in the middle of the road and leaving a little rubber on the road to get back to that intersection.

"Try not to get us both killed!" Kate grabbed hold of the arm rest. Rick was getting closer. "This isn't the way to their apartment. Where are they going?" It wasn't the wrong side of the tracks by any means, but it didn't make sense. "Office maybe?" she suggested and then dismissed it since that was wrong too.

"Babe what are you doing?" Rick was playing with the dash as she watched a screen slide out and pivot to face them. It was a camera view of the back of her parents' car. Now he was messing with the atmospheric controls. "Rick?" Kate was watching and saw targeting marks lined up with her parents' car. "RICK!?"

"I'm trying to tag their car so we can follow at a distance," he explained. "Are you telling me they gave you a James Bond car?" She was very impressed. He chuckled. "Don't I wish. No, all I have is a system to shoot tags that I can track using the system in the car which can be removed and carried with us. Car, person, plane, helicopter, you name it." He pushed the button and Kate saw her parents' car light up. Rick slowed down to a more normal speed and actually had to stop at a red light.

He switched the screen to a map that showed where her parents' car was going. Both of them watched the screen as he followed a few blocks behind them. "Are they going where I think they are?" she questioned.

"B5 tie in," he called out. "B5 operational," the AI responded as Kate's eyes widened. She didn't know the car could do that. "Display the location of the Bob Armen murder on the screen," he instructed. A new dot showed up. It wasn't far from her parents' car. " **DAMMIT** **!** " He didn't much like this turn of events and he sped up as best he could. He rounded the corner after turning his lights off and pressing a button that all but silenced the car's loud throat exhaust. "RICK!" She placed both hands on the front dash at what she saw. Her parents were out of the car and had their hands in the air with a man nearby pointing a gun at them.

Their car was parked not far from them with another car right behind it. "Teleport and take the guy with the gun on your parents. I'll take the guy in the car. Try not to let your parents see you, we don't need all the questions. Now go Kate." Rick stopped the car and turned it off as she pressed the gem in her hand.

A swirl of clouds appeared in the passenger seat to be exchanged for a swirl of clouds in the street on the other side of her parents' car with them and the guy with the gun on the other.

Rick pressed his gem and disappeared in a swirl of clouds. He showed up in the passenger seat of the bad guys' car where he reached across to grab the guy's arm and pressed his gem again. They both disappeared in a swirl of clouds.


	33. Chapter 33

**CH33**

Jim and Johanna were standing there listening to the guy with the gun telling them to get in the car, when suddenly he started smiling. He slowly lowered his gun and just stood there with a goofy, happy look on his face. "Let's get out of here." Jim grabbed his wife's hand and hurried to their car. He got the door open, pushed his wife in, and ran around to the driver's side. He got in, started the car, and took off.

Rick left his sleeping guy where he took him, teleported back to their car, and saw Kate approaching the other guy who was just standing there. Rick noticed that her parents and their car were gone. He teleported over to Kate who was looking her guy over.

"Any trouble?" he asked as he watched his wife more than the guy. "This guy? No, no problem. My parents on the other hand... Dad got mom out of here but that's only going to last just so long," she said concernedly.

"Your mother is just like you or to be more precise you are just like your mother. She's going to have a hundred questions. The question is, who she is going to ask her questions of and expect answers?" Rick was more than a little worried about that.

"I'll take this guy where I took the other one and I'll be right back for you," he told her and he and their guy disappeared in a whirl of clouds. True to his word he was back in seconds.

"Ready Mrs. Castle?" Rick smiled and offered his arm. Kate looped her arm through his. "Ready Mr. Beckett," Kate grinned. "Are you ever going to stop that?" he questioned. "Nope," she replied and kissed his cheek. They both disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

She instantly found herself in a broken down house. At least it looked like it used to be one. The windows were broken, the floor was part dirt. Part of the roof was missing and plants were starting to take over everything.

"You strip yours and get rid of his weapon and I'll do the same to mine," he said and got to work on his guy while she started on her guy. She had no knowledge of weapons so her idea was to take it, teleport somewhere far away, drop it then come back. "He has a combat knife on him too." She held it up. "Scan everything and then get rid of it all," he told her.

"Gather up your guy's clothes, drop them somewhere, and come back," he directed and did the same with his guy. He watched his guy's clothes fly out on the wind into the Grand Canyon while she watched her guy's clothes float out to sea.

"Let's see who our guests are." He opened up his guy's wallet and started going through it. "$23 US dollars. Not a single credit card. Driver's license looks fake, even his name sounds fake. It's amazing void of any information." Rick kept the driver's license and the money then tossed the wallet out the broken window.

"This guy is pretty much the same, though he has more money. A whole $42 US dollars." She kept the license and money and tossed the wallet. "We need to search their car too," she pointed out.

"Let's start with our guests first shall we?" Rick pointed a finger at his face and then moved down to his hands. He then stuck a finger in his mouth and swirled it around, while Kate did the same with her guy.

"That should give B5 something to work with." Rick sighed. "Suggestions?" He looked at Kate.

Kate ran her finger over most of his body to scan it and sent it all to B5. "My guy looks like he might work out a little or at least used to." She looked at his chest and arms.

"Eyes forward dear," he cautioned. Kate glared at him for the comment and the "dear" comment only to see Rick grinning at his tease. If he only knew what she was going to do to him tonight... He certainly wouldn't be grinning.

"Not mine, he's too skinny to be doing this kind of work. I'm thinking he's only a driver unless he happens to be Bruce Lee," Rick mentioned.

"Someone sent these two babe, and they likely followed them," Kate pointed out. "Which means they may have both seen us being associated with them. Where did they pick them up at? From home to the restaurant? And why wait until after the restaurant if they wanted to pick them up?" Rick questioned.

"Why them? Mom hasn't done much of anything yet," Kate mused. "IT'S ME! They're trying to get to me!"

"Except you still don't really exist. No driver's license, credit cards, phone bills, utility bills, no way to trace you. It does, however, tell us something."

"Yeah. Captain Roy Montgomery is dirty and knows someone who sent these two. Likely the same person who has control over those 2 FBI agents. He knows how to contact this person. Probably the assistant director does too," Kate said disgustedly.

"So who are these two guys and where did he get them?" he wondered. "Go search their car. If they have been following them from home hoping to take them to you, they likely have cameras and or a phone or two since they have almost nothing on them. Search it and scan the entire car," Rick instructed Kate.

"And these two?" she asked. "They will be staying here, naked." He saw the question on her face. "We're in Cambodia. I think we can just leave them here and not have to worry about them ever again." He arched his eyebrows a couple of times. Kate's eyes widened. Rick knew a place in Cambodia?

Kate pointed to someplace. "I'm, ah, …I'm going to go search their car. Don't go getting to comfortable with these two, you're still mine and I'm keeping you." She pressed the gem in her palm and disappeared in a whirl of clouds, barely seeing Rick's mouth drop open before she was gone.

She was smiling to herself as she arrived at their car and walked while pointing her finger at it, til she finally opened the driver's door and began searching it.

"Comfortable," Rick grumbled as he wondered what to do with his guests.

Kate found the car's registration and was'nt overly surprised that it was most likely stolen since it was registered in New Jersey under a woman's name. Still she did find a cell phone and a camera with a large telephoto lens. She also found a tube of lipstick, not her color, along with a tube of mascara, along with a make-up brush used to apply blush. "So the owner likes to apply her make-up on the go. That certainly sounds safe."

A check of the trunk found a small bag that Kate opened and found a woman's change of clothes inside. "A change of clothes in a trunk?" She didn't understand the need. However she did understand the use of the 4 tiny packets of condoms that were also in the bag. "So she has a boyfriend and needs a change of clothes in case she spends the night," she guessed.

"Looks like her spare tire is flat and where is the jack?" Kate kept searching. She decided that she had what she needed, so she pressed her gem and ended up in the dining room in front of B5.

"B5 activate," she called out and watched B5 spring to life. "B5 operational." Kate placed the camera on the panel. "Download the pictures and display them please." She then removed the camera and replaced it with the cell phone she found. "Tell me about this phone." The lights scrambled a little faster. "The number for this phone is not listed. Also it has sent and received calls from only one number that is also unlisted. The last outgoing call was at 11:00 pm yesterday. The latest incoming call was 4 hours and 31 minutes ago. Both of those calls lasted less than one minute. The unlisted number called has been used 11 times in the life of this phone," B5 responded.

Rick showed up in a swirl of clouds. "I miss anything?" he asked as he stepped up to Kate and gave her a quick kiss.

"Just the phone. It's a burner phone that has called and received calls from another burner phone," she told him. "There is more about this phone," B5 started to add. "The unlisted number indicated for incoming and outgoing calls for the second phone is the same number for the phone that Richard found in the desk of the assistant director of the FBI New York field office."

"Now that's interesting," Rick said in surprise. "How many calls have been made using that particular phone?" He had forgotten to ask. "Six. Four incoming and two outgoing."

"Can you ID our two guys?" he inquired. "Identification confirmed. One is named Dick Coonan who has a short military record. He has finished his qualifications for Special Forces and was discharged for assaulting a superior officer. The other is named Chris McCain who has spent 4 years in prison for being the getaway driver for a robbery. He is also suspected of several high-end car thefts that was never connected to him," B5 answered.

"So one is muscle and the other is the driver. I'll bet the one that had your parents is Coonan while mine was in the car, so he was the driver," Rick theorized which Kate thought made sense.

"Dick Coonan had minute traces of heroin on his clothes," B5 suddenly added. "Was he addicted?" Rick queried. "Negative, the amounts are a fraction and only on his clothes," B5 responded.

"So he is a drug dealer that doesn't use what he sells. Where does he get his drugs from? And who does he sell them to?" Kate wondered. "And where does he store them?" Rick added. "Have we got an address for these two?" she asked. An address for both of them come up on the screen. "That's not Jersey," she remarked. "The car was registered in Jersey." She cleared up the "I don't understand" look that was on Rick's face. "Let's see the pictures," she asked B5.

The wall suddenly filled up with a number of color pictures. "Number four," Rick called out."That's my parents leaving home," Kate commented. "Headed for Q3, I'd guess," he added."Twelve, thirteen, and fourteen," she asked, and three pictures were enlarged that showed the guys following her parents' car. "Twenty one through twenty six," he requested. "They were just outside while we were eating. That's Maddie and Kim," she remarked.

"Twenty seven and twenty eight," Rick asked for and pictures of Kate's face appeared. "Thirty two and thirty three," Kate called out. They watched face shots of Rick show up.

"Let's see thirty five and thirty six," Rick asked. "That's our car and plates," she murmured.

"It's enough to lead them to me and that would lead them to you." Rick understood the implications. "Are these pictures of prints?" he inquired, just a little afraid of the answer."Negative, they are images of the film that was in the camera that Katherine had," B5 replied. "That's something at least. Only those two know about us and what car we drive." Rick was relieved even though he knew it was probably only going to be a short time until Jim and Johanna were threatened again in hopes of finding Kate.

"And no calls out on their burner phone means only those two know anything," Kate added. "What did you do with those two?" she questioned Rick.

"Don't be mad, but the guy with the gun...I , ah, broke his right wrist and all four of his fingers and his thumb. If he receives proper medical care he'll get to keep the use of his hand," he said."In the middle of Cambodia? And the other guy or do I not want to know?" Kate asked him."Well, since the one with the gun was likely a hit man, that meant the other guy was likely a driver so I broke his ankle and all five of the toes on his right foot." He scrunched up his face. He had left them alive after all. "A hit man who loses the use of his right hand and a driver who loses the use of his right foot." Kate broke it down. "It seemed poetic to me." Rick defended himself.

"Naked and trapped in the middle of Cambodia with one who can't use one hand and the other who can't walk," Kate stated. "At least they are out of our hair and whomever sent them is down two men." Rick justified his actions. She figured the men would leave where they had been left and eventually would be found, so they'd live. She wondered just how many people in Cambodia spoke English.

"This address for Coonan is next." She pointed at B5's screen. "Load it into the car's navigation B5," Rick instructed. "ALEXIS! Time for a road trip and you're our backup," he yelled and saw Alexis come running into the kitchen.

"Meow." _Feed me first, please._

Kate dished out what Madison had given her in her kitty take out bag later and Alexis was sitting in Kate's lap on their way to the address listed for Coonan. "We need to go somewhere tomorrow. If we're going to go out of the US for our honeymoon, you're going to need a passport," Rick commented while driving. "I don't even have a driver's license. I don't even have a job that pays anything. I'm your wife and your partner but I'm not helping to pay for anything." She finally voiced what had been bugging her before they even got married.

He opened his mouth and then quickly closed it. She had a point. He was a writer and was making good money even though he didn't have a mortgage or a car payment. She didn't really need to make money for them to be comfortable. Just what would she do when they didn't have a mission to work on? How many missions would they have in one lifetime?

"We'll think of something. We can get B5 to help us. Figure out what you were good at in high school or those 6 years of college classes you took while training. There has to be something in there that can help us." Rick took a hand off the wheel and reached for one of Kate's and squeezed it. She decided in that moment that she loved him even more than she ever had before. And she was still going to tie him to the bed tonight and do wicked things to his body.

Dick Coonan's apartment was actually pretty nice looking from the outside. It wasn't on par with theirs but it was nice. Rick walked up to the door with Kate right behind him holding onto Alexis. He used a finger to disable what looked like a security system and then another finger to unlock the door.

Stepping inside they found a small foyer much like theirs, however he didn't have a garage next to it. The next door was also locked until Rick used a finger on it. Opening it took them directly into the living room. It was simple and not very memorable.

Kate put Alexis down so she could wander around. "There are no personal pictures, no knickknacks, nothing feminine about this place. Nothing looks personal. It's even under furnished," she said as she looked around making commentary.

Together they walked past the stairs that went up to the second floor. Alexis went up the stairs while they both walked to the rear of the building, finding a half bath along the way. "He needs to clean the toilet." Kate only poked her head inside for a moment finding that the seat was up unlike their toilet at home.

Next came the kitchen that looked to be stuck in the 90's, the early 90's at that. Kate opened the refrigerator. "Looks like he eats take out a lot. He also likes beer," she commented. Rick took a peek. "Budweiser is _not_ beer; it's piss water at best." He made his comment and moved on, opening upper cabinets. "He seems to have everything." He opened the dishwasher. "At least he cleans up after himself." The dishwasher was clean and empty.

"MEOW!" _UP HERE!_

Both of them hurried to the stairs finding Alexis sitting at the top. She put her front paws on the door to the right. "Meow." _In here._

Kate checked the door and then opened it. "It's a closet Alexis." It had a bunch of junk on the shelves.

"Meow. Meow!" _I can smell it. Open it_ _!_

Kate was thinking _'open what?'_ when Rick got down on all fours and searched the carpeted floor. There was nothing there. But suddenly he located and opened a large hatch. "Go back downstairs and check this area from down there, also there's a flash light in the car. Please get it," he requested as he stuck his head into the opening.

She went downstairs and looked the area over. "The stairs are out from the wall by maybe 3 or 4 feet and I can't find an access to the area under the stairs. I'm going for the flash light," she called up the stairs and went outside.

"Nice work Alexis." Rick was proud of her. He was sitting on his heels looking at what was on the shelves when he saw a stack of dust masks that would cover the mouth and nose. He took two off the shelf and waited for Kate. She returned quickly with the flash light. "Put this on. He has a whole stack of them." He offered one of the masks to her as she handed over the flash light. Using it showed a wooden ladder down in the opening. Rick headed down the ladder, feet first naturally.

Below he found a small room of sorts. He also found a light switch and used it. "Come on down and leave Alexis behind to watch our six," he called. Once she was standing next to him, all they saw was box after box. They were small like moving boxes for books. She reached for something that had small vials as part of it. "What's this?"

Rick looked at where she had found it and saw several more sets just like that one. "Take it home, give it to B5 then come back after she analyzes it,please," he asked and watched her disappear in a small swirling cloud.

He began opening one of the boxes and found a surprise. It was full of DVD cases. He lifted out one of the DVD cases and examined it. "What the hell?" It was completely sealed. He kept it while he looked around using a finger and found a wall that intrigued him. He was just opening the panel when Kate returned.

"B5 said it was… what's that?" She saw what was behind the panel and watched as he took out one of the knives and looked it over. "It looks familiar somehow. Why are there 7 of them?" he wondered.

"It was a heroin testing kit. B5 said it could be used to determine the strength or potency of the drug," she informed him.

"Cops, FBI, the mob, and now drugs. Those four things go together pretty well," Rick mentioned. "Especially if you are dirty cops and dirty FBI agents," Kate added.

He held up the jewel case. "Take this back to B5 and see what she makes of it, please." He handed it to Kate. "A self-help get rich inspiration scheme?" She read the case quickly and disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

He took the box he had opened, dumped the contents then started putting the knives he'd found into the box. He was just putting the last one inside when Kate came back. "It was vacuum sealed and was filled with high grade heroin according to B5."

 _No.4 grade heroin is the purest form of heroin commonly known as China White. It is a white powder that is easily dissolved and thus readily injected. No.3 grade heroin is a tan-colored, granular product referred to as 'brown rock'. The difference in color between No.4 and No.3 grades is a result of impurities introduced during or remaining after the manufacturing process. No.3 grade is commonly heated and the vapors inhaled. It can be injected but it has to be dissolved in citrus instead of water. No.2 grade heroin is dark brown and is even less pure than No.3. Unprocessed raw heroin or heroin base is referred to as No.1 heroin commonly known as "Black Tar"._

"B5 said it was grade No.4, very pure stuff. Apparently if you analyze it correctly, you can use it to determine where in the world it came from. In this case, B5 says it came from Turkey," she informed him.

"Shipping containers or plane. Each has its own risks. Containers run the risk of being selected for random inspection…" Kate interrupted him. "Not if the inspectors or dock workers have been paid off," she pointed out.

"Travel by twin turbo prop and you can land at any small airfield and not worry about it. Maybe even using a corporate jet," he offered. "Like an FBI corporate jet?" she suggested. "A plane would hold less drugs though you could get them into the country faster. So big shipments at a slow pace or smaller shipments at a faster pace?" he mused. "Who says it has to be either one?" she questioned.

Rick sighed heavily since Kate had a point. "Fine, you concentrate on the docks and I'll take the FBI. First though, we need to finish searching this place," he said and waited for her to get back upstairs before climbing up himself.

"Give me a minute and I'll be right back." He teleported home with the box of knives and placed each one on the medical bed so B5 could scan and analyze each of them while avoiding having to place them on B5's screen one at a time, before he went back to Kate.

There were two bedrooms and a full-sized bathroom on that level. Everything seemed normal until Alexis caught a whiff of Coonan's clothes' hamper as she was wandering around. She arched her back with all of her fur standing up as she hissed loudly with pure hatred.

"The only time I've ever seen her do that…" Kate finished his sentence for him. "is when she has heard the word or encountered one." She went to open the hamper while keeping an eye on Alexis.

The clothes hamper was filled with dirty clothes. "Except for them being stinky I don't smell anything," she commented while watching Alexis coming unhinged and about ready to pop."Take the whole thing to B5. …Now would be a good time," Rick told Kate who took the hint and disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

"Alexis?" He was careful as he watched her slowly calm down before he picked her up and held her close.

"Hiss!" _He has dogs!_


	34. Chapter 34

**CH34**

Rick held onto Alexis til he was certain she was feeling better then teleported them both to the pool. "Enjoy the pool Alexis. Give us some time to figure out what we have found and what to do next," Rick said and placed her on the floor. He didn't wait for a response and teleported to the kitchen where he found Kate with the hamper filled with clothes. "How is she?"

"Cooling off in the pool hopefully," he told her. "Have you finished with the knives yet B5?" He wanted to get on with this and maybe hit the pool himself before bed.

"Affirmative." B5 opened the Plexiglas cover of the medical bed. "There are 7 different DNAs, one on each knife. Based on DNA, it can be determined that 6 were male and one was female. I am presently searching for a match to identify the DNA on each knife."

"He kept trophies of a sort for each of his kills," Rick commented. "Let's see him kill anyone else with no right hand while stuck in Cambodia." Kate was learning to hate Coonan. "How about the jewel cases?" She changed the subject.

"The cover of each jewel case suggests that the drug is brought in from where the recording of the self-help DVD is manufactured, in Hong Kong, China," B5 responded.

"So the heroin goes from Turkey to Hong Kong and then to here? Seems like a lot of work. Mexico is a whole lot closer." She had some misgivings about how it all came together.

"Anything from Turkey would get more scrutiny at customs, while countless things come from China including Hong Kong. Put some real DVDs on top with the jewel cases filled with drugs under that," he submitted.

"Don't they use drug dogs at most of the ports?" Kate asked. "Which is where the corrupt DEA agents come in along with the FBI and NYPD. Not the agencies and the police in their entireties, only just enough of them," he posited. "The FBI, DEA, and NYPD are all in the US, however, and Turkey and Hong Kong are way out of their jurisdiction," she pointed out.

"Which leaves us with at least one more person we know nothing about yet," Rick added. "One or more in the CIA perhaps?" he queried. "Access to planes and overseas shipping companies." She liked it. "But how does he keep what he's doing from the higher ups and other operatives in the CIA? Don't they monitor their own?" she wondered.

"More and more questions with not enough answers," he moaned. They had so much to do still. "It's getting late and we still need to check on your parents," he reminded her. "MY PARENTS!" She had forgotten all about them. She started to run for the garage only to stop. "Car keys?" She held out her hand, getting him to pull out his keys and go with her. "I haven't taught you how to use the system yet," he explained. "And we still need to get you a driver's license." He added it to the list of the things they need to do.

Kate cursed silently. She didn't feel 15 years old anymore and was actually feeling a little older than 20, which is what she really was, physically. Hell, she wasn't even 21 years old yet and she was married.

Rick had started the car and the display panel was sliding out. "Where did that smile come from?" he questioned. They were headed for her parents' home as Alexis sat in her lap being mindlessly petted.

"It suddenly hit me that I'm married and the situation I'm in. Not long ago I was a 15 year old kid. Well, 8 years ago I was a 15 year old kid and I'm not even 21 years old yet. I was almost dead; now I'm happier than I've ever been and I'm in love. I don't understand my life." She started blinking back tears.

He would have loved to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight, but her parents most likely needed support. Rick started zooming in on the dot that was their car. "Looks like they're home. Drive or teleport?" he asked.

She wiped the tears out of her eyes and tried to concentrate. "Teleporting is faster, but what happens if they ask questions? And what if Coonan had a back-up plan and they were followed?" The "What ifs?" were franticly running through her mind.

"Teleport there and take Alexis with you. I'll drive and meet you there. Try not to let on that we know what happened. I'll bring ice cream," he said and got her to lean across to kiss him. "I love you." Kate held Alexis as they disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

It was getting late in the day but wasn't midnight for a couple of hours yet, so finding some ice cream was easy. Rick kept his eyes open for a tail in case they knew about them and where they lived. He tried to spot anyone sitting in a car watching the building in which Kate's parents lived.

Kate looked around outside, walked inside, and went up to her parents' apartment. She listened at the door. "Alexis?" Kate queried, believing that Alexis's hearing was better than hers.

"Meow." _Sounds clear to me._

She shifted Alexis so she could knock and keep her fingers at the ready. After she knocked, it was Johanna who answered the door. "Katie!" Johanna was surprised to see her.

"Hi Mom, can we come in?" Kate asked. "Of course." Johanna backed up and gave Kate room to step in past her. She was close enough to smell whiskey on her mother's breath. Also there was a tumbler that still had some in it on the coffee table and she could see her dad in the kitchen hiding the liquor bottle. "Where's Rick?" Johanna looked up and down the hall before closing the door and locking it.

Kate put Alexis down on the floor where she started prowling around, including in their bedroom. "He'll be up in a few minutes. We were out late and thought about stopping for a while before going home." It was sort of the truth. They were up late, just not out.

"That's thoughtful Katie, but we're fine," Johanna deflected. "Fine, fine? Or just fine?" Kate asked and lifted up the tumbler that still had whiskey in it. "Are you fine too, Dad?" She looked in the kitchen and saw another tumbler on the kitchen counter. "We're fine!" Johanna took the tumbler out of Kate's hand and emptied it in one swallow. "Fine, right. What happened Mom?" Kate wanted to hear it. "Katie…" Johanna wasn't interested in talking to her. She wasn't even ready to talk to her own husband about what had happened.

"Don't 'Katie' me, Mom. I've worked hard to not think of myself as being a 15 year old kid, which is as far as my memories takes me. But I'm not 15 years old, not anymore, so don't treat me like I am." Tears of frustration filled her eyes.

"I'm a 20 year old woman who happens to be married, something that amazes the crap out of me. I opened my heart and I love Rick more than I ever thought was even possible. I love him and I trust him. I can remember sitting in my room reading magazines or articles that talked about love and wondering what it felt like. Well, now I know and it feels amazing." She wiped away the tears that had started her emotional rant.

"Katie!" Johanna reached her hands out to cup Kate's face only to have Kate bat them away. "I told you not to 'Katie' me, Mom. Now tell me what happened that got you two to start drinking." She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Meow!" _You heard her_ _!_

Unfortunately, Rick chose that moment to knock on the door. Kate answered it, sure it was him on the other side. After he came in and re-locked the door, she went back to glaring at her mother with a side glance at her father who still hadn't left the kitchen. "Now start talking you two. …And give me that." She took the empty tumbler out of Johanna's hand. "Put that down Dad and get out here." Kate's patience was gone.

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They had gotten everything, they thought, and every word that had been spoken between her parents and Coonan. Coonan hadn't said anything about using them to get to Kate and where she was staying. It had mostly been him trying to intimidate them and based on her parents turning to alcohol, it had worked.

"Think that will stop your mother?" Rick asked as they were driving home with Alexis in Kate's lap. She looked at him with her best "You're kidding, right?" look. "Yeah, that's what I thought. We need to find where Coonan is storing his heroin. That tiny amount in his home wouldn't even fill a twin turbo prop let alone a shipping container." He started on the list they had to work with.

"Meow." _You are so going to take me with you on that one._

Kate knew what that meant since Alexis had come unglued just smelling his old clothes. "I'll take the docks while you look for that FBI plane," she added.

"We need to talk with the guy on the cover of all those jewel cases filled with heroin. He has to know what's in them. I can't believe there are that many stupid people that would actually buy those things," he said.

"Rick, …are we thinking too small here?" She was worried about something. "What's on your mind love muffin?" He smiled and looked at her quickly. "Angel? Dearest?…" He shut up when she looked like she was ready to hurt him even if he was driving. "So not fair," Rick moaned. Kate got to call him babe and he didn't dare call her baby.

"As I was saying, what if we are thinking too small? Our planet is going to turn into a radioactive ball of dust in one possible future. The President can push the button; what if the sitting President is the one that pushes the button? And the military has control over all of the missiles. Mostly Air Force but some Navy, too. What if they aren't using an FBI jet or are, but are also using a military transport? It is all coming from Turkey after all," she said.

He thought about it as he drove. They were close to home by then. "The button pusher being the sitting President doesn't add up. What's his connection with Pulgotti? What's his connection with the three New York cops? Why go after your parents? To get answers about you? Coonan was discharged from the military. No, we're missing something. The cops are involved with someone. This same someone is using the FBI as a cover and information source. We now know that drugs are involved. Drugs have only one use for people who don't use them," Rick pointed out.

"Money." Kate was following his train of thought. "And who needs money?" he questioned."Money makes the world go round. You pay it to buy people or things. FBI agents, ex-special forces guys, planes, DEA agents, dock workers. You use it to keep people silent if you think you still need them instead of just killing them."

"There is just something I don't understand. If it isn't the sitting President then that means it's a future President that gets us all killed. But the next election isn't for more than 2 years. So how long has this been going on and just how much money does he really need?" Kate asked.

Rick pressed the button on the garage remote, drove the car into the garage, and closed the door behind him. "Elections take money. In the last presidential election, I think the final two each spent something like $700 million. That doesn't take into account the other people that were also running but who dropped out. Add the money each party spent for their candidate and you are likely looking at between $5 billion and $6 billion total for everybody. Donations come from all kinds of places. People, companies, Super PACs. Each will expect something in return for their donation. What if our guy doesn't need their money?" he posited.

"Because he is raking in millions every month from illegal drugs." Kate got it. "Trace the drugs and we find our guy. It leaves me with a question though. He has all these people he's used money to buy. How does he guarantee they all remain silent after he makes President? A single person could get him impeached just months after he takes the oath, if not arrested beforehand," she stated.

"What is that pirate saying? The one that's part of Disneyland?" Rick questioned. "Pirates of the Caribbean? Someplace I'd love to go to by the way. Not Disneyland but the Caribbean," she added. "Yo ho, a Pirate's life for me. …Dead men tell no tales," she finished. "GOD BABE! This person has to go! He's a homicidal fruit cake!" Kate doubled her commitment to completing this mission, the sooner the better. Before he killed her parents, let alone anyone else.

Kate was tired since it was close to midnight by the time they made it back from her parents' home. They were close to dragging themselves to their bedroom when a finger for each began pulsing. "NO! Want to sleep," she moaned since she had given up tieing Rick to the bed tonight. It would just have to wait.

Still it got both of them, along with Alexis on the dining room table, standing in front of B5. "Make it quick B5. I'm tired," she told the computer wearily.

"You were busy at Katherine's parents' home, however I recorded a conversation between Agent Sorenson and the assistant director using the bug that Richard found. Agent Sorenson reported that he must have just missed you in the archive room and that all of the case files for Roy Montgomery were still out. However, he was discovered by the Sargent that had control over the archive room. I believe he killed him to leave undetected," B5 informed them.

Kate collapsed onto one of the dining room chairs. Rick placed a hand on her shoulder. "What was the assistant director's reaction?" he asked. "He ordered Sorenson to find out who this person was and how to reach him. They had questions for which they needed answers," B5 responded.

"You're absolutely taking Alexis with you when you go to the docks. It sounds like they are fixated on you and you can use the help," Rick told her firmly.

She was all set to object when she heard Alexis. "MEOW!" _YES!_

She closed her mouth and accepted that she had to take Alexis with her. The docks were less likely to have cameras covering every corner so teleporting where she needed to go with a Bengal tiger next to her shouldn't be a problem.

"I'm going to bed." She yawned and shuffled her feet up to their bedroom. Kate was almost asleep when she felt Rick's arms around her and his skin pressed up against hers. It brought her comfort and she was asleep moments later.

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"M" Rated moment to follow. If this is not to your liking, you can stop reading now and wait for the next chapter.

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Rick was making love to Kate. He could feel her lips and her kisses as she covered his body with them. He had been amazed at how good a lover she was, even when she was a 15 year old in a 20 year old body. It almost made him think that she had been lying to him about being a yet he could still see her crying about how much she loved him and wanted so very badly to give him her virginity. He didn't really care how many men she had had sex with prior to him. Kate was with him now and that's all that mattered.

Still...her lips, hands, and tongue! He moved his hands to guide her lips to where he wanted them. Suddenly he woke up and tried to move his hands and couldn't!

"Good morning lover," she purred. She worked her way up his body and nibbled on his nipples before kissing his jaw. "You're mine this morning, all mine, and since there is nothing you can do about it, I'm going to have my way with you," she informed him and kissed him soundly, pressing her tongue into his mouth.

She worked her way back down his body, pausing to play with both of his nipples and biting them just a little before continuing down his body. She stopped again at his belly button, laving the area with her tongue.

Simply blowing on his erection caused it to twitch a little before she started to suck and nibble on the skin of both thighs. It was only then that she heard Rick's first sound of frustration which, of course, had her smiling widely.

She moved back up to blow on his erection, but she never actually touched him. She opened her mouth wide to tease that she was finally going to try and swallow his penis down her throat, only to stop short. She ran her tongue from his balls to his tip, still not touching him.

"God Kate." It was Rick's first true vocal sign of need and frustration. She blew air from the tip of his penis down to his balls where she finally stroked her tongue across his scrotal sac, hearing him testing his restraints and actually lifting up his butt to try and gain more contact.

She took one of his balls in her mouth and ran her tongue all around it while scratching his legs with her nails, leaving white marks on his legs. She released his ball and ran her tongue up the length of his erection watching it twitch. She went back to blowing on his erection and worked her way back up his body til she reached his nipples which got a tongue bath.

Working back down his body til she took his erection in her hand, she heard Rick moan at finally getting some direct attention. However, it was short lived as she went back to sucking on one of his balls. "GOD KATE!"

She licked his erection, up and down and around while holding it vertical with her hand, listening to him enjoy what she was doing. She suddenly took him into her mouth and buried his erection into the back of her throat as her nose hit his abdomen. She released him from her mouth and went back to sucking on one of his balls. "KATE?" That told her it was working. She released his ball and went back to licking up and down his shaft.

Holding his erection and slapping it up against her lips just before taking him in her mouth and down her throat, she heard Rick groan loudly. She started licking the head and paid particular attention to the slit at the tip before taking him down her throat again. She then switched back to sucking on one of his balls. She could see his erection twitching of its own accord and Rick moaned and whined. She started working on his erection giving it her complete attention.

She took her cue and released him and watched Rick lift his ass off the bed to get the contact back. "GOD KATE, please?" He did his best to try and get his erection to reach her mouth that was just out of reach.

She started all over again. She took her cue yet again and backed off, not even touching any part of him. "KATE, PLEASE!?" Rick moaned.

The color of his erection changed, especially the head. She took him down her throat only to release him and climb up his body to kiss him deeply before climbing up a little further til her core was right above his mouth. "Eat me babe, or I'll leave you here and take Alexis with me to the docks," she warned him and lowered her core over his mouth. She could feel him testing his restraints several times before his tongue finally started doing its job.

Holding the head board and riding his face, he licked her lips and stuck his tongue in as far as it would go then flicked her clitoris. She was grinding her core over his face as she built up to her first orgasm of the morning. It only took a few more licks before she exploded and came all over his face.

She worked her way off his face and kissed him deeply tasting herself on his lips. "I love you babe." She kissed him again before working her way back down to his erection. She once more took her cue, backed way off, and watched his erection twitch. "KATE, PLEASE?"

She waited and went back to sucking on one of his balls. "KATE! PLEASE!" She went back to working on his erection, however she missed her cue and was a little late. She used her fingers to squeeze his erection at the base to prevent him from ejaculating. She returned to working on his balls. He had tears running down his face by then. "KAATTEE!" Rick pleaded.

Hearing him cry, she looked up to see tears rolling down the sides of his face. She remembered what Madison had told her. "Do not let him come until you are ready, not because he is begging you." She, however, was just about ready since she was so damn horny again. She got up off the bed and left him lying there pulling on his restraints even harder as he watched her walk away.

She came back, kissed the tip of his erection, ripped open her package, and rolled the condom over it. She climbed up on top and bent down to kiss him. "I'm going to fuck your brains out babe," she whispered into his lips as she reached down to place him at her entrance.

Using her hand, she rubbed the head of his erection along the lips of her core, listening to him moan while still crying. She slammed herself down on his penis til he was buried deep inside her and then just sat there. She reached out and pinched both of his nipples hard before she started sliding up and down on him. She was soon bouncing up and down as the springs of the bed complained about the strain.

She bent down and kissed him deeply. "Come for me babe, come inside me really hard," she whispered into his lips then went back to bouncing up and down on his erection that felt bigger than he had ever been before.

Reaching down, she started stroking her clitoris. She was listening to him and trying to take her cue for when he was about to come. She was really close; she moved her hand from her clitoris and reached back to start squeezing his balls. "Come for me baby, come for me." She gently squeezed his balls as Rick screamed, **"KATE!"**

Rick lifted his ass up off of the bed and tried to bury himself as far as he could inside her as his first orgasm exploded. She kept bouncing up and down on his erection and gave her clitoris a quick flick as she screamed during her second orgasm. **"RICK!"**

She barely noticed that Rick had his second orgasm as she buried him deep inside her.

She collapsed down onto him and just rested there for a moment, before kissing him deeply. "I love you so much babe." She kissed him again.

She reached over to release one of his hands, then the other, only to find he had wrapped them around her, holding her in place. It took Rick several minutes to gather his wits about him. "That was amazing Kate. Wherever did you learn to do that?" He was beginning to shrink while still inside her.

Lifting up her head to look him in the eyes, she smiled a shy smile. "Madison told me how to do it, and we've been making love for long enough that I know when you are about to come."

"You'll have to thank Madison for me then." He smiled at her and lifted up his head to kiss her. "Time for a shower?" he suggested since they were both sweaty and her hair was even a little wet. "Only if you wash me," she said. "Deal." He agreed since he wanted his hands on her body after all of that.

She got up off of him, let his penis slip out of her, and reached down to remove the condom. She let him sit up to release his legs then she walked into the bathroom to dispose of the condom.

"BABE!?" she yelled as he bent down to release his right leg. "Hmmm?" he responded as she came flying back into their room.

"The condom broke!" Kate held it up to show Rick.

 _ **I**_ _ **t**_ _ **was empty of his come.**_


	35. Chapter 35

**CH35**

Kate had enjoyed the shower with her husband, mostly because of his hands moving all over her body. "I have to get to the docks babe. You can clean yourself." She kissed him, stepped out of the shower, and dried off. Except she didn't leave the bathroom to get dressed. While Rick had his back turned, Kate turned her body to study her side view while running her hand over her stomach as though from just this morning a baby bump was already there.

When Rick turned the water off she ran for it and gathered up what she wanted to wear when going down to the docks. She decided to stick with clothes that allowed her the most freedom of movement. Three inch high heel boots, leggings, and an oversized top that threatened to fall off of one shoulder showing the aqua colored bra that was underneath. She added a fanny pack to carry what she wanted to take with her.

She went downstairs and found Alexis sitting on the counter waiting patiently. "You ready to go to the docks?" she questioned as she pulled fruit out of the refrigerator and placed a slice of bread in the toaster.

"Meow." _Looking forward to it._

"You want a cat breakfast or a tiger breakfast?" Kate asked since she noticed a number of steaks in the refrigerator.

"Meow." _Salmon please._

"Salmon it is then." She emptied the can in Alexis's crystal dish.

"What have you got planned babe?" Kate watched Rick enter the kitchen to find breakfast.

"Going through all of those FBI files and find all of the planes the FBI owns and visit each one. Hopefully I can find some flight logs and see if those logs match fuel consumption and purchases," he explained.

"Are they falsifying records? interesting." Now they just needed to prove it.

"You sure you can handle the docks?" Rick was more than willing to go with her. "If I can handle multiple three armed men I can handle a few dock workers. Besides, I have Alexis as my back up." Kate petted Alexis.

"And dressed like that you're definitely going to get their attention," he commented. Her leggings showed off her long legs and those high heeled boots only made them look longer. Then there was that top. She stepped back and spun in place to show it off. "Like it?" she teased. "I'll be happy to take it back off of you later." His smile widened.

"Rick, …about the condom." Kate knew they needed to talk about it. He wrapped his arms around her. "What you did was amazing and I'll be happy to return the favor later." He smiled at her and watched her blush. "And we'll handle whatever happens because of it when the time comes. But if you think I'm divorcing you because you're going to have my child, guess again." Rick kissed her soundly, taking Kate's breath away.

"Meow!?" _You're pregnant?_

"No, ...maybe? I don't know. It's just that it's possible." She was still trying to come to terms with knowing that Rick's little swimmers were inside her somewhere. But was there something waiting for them? She had no doubt they would make it. After all, he had Alexis, and the aliens had made his body perfect just like hers.

"MEOW!?" _I'm going to have a baby sister!?_ Alexis moved over to rub herself up against Kate, delighted at the possibility that she was going to have a sister or a brother.

"Ready to go Alexis?" Kate had noticed she was done eating and was just sitting on the counter. She picked her up and kissed her fur. "Break a leg Kate, as my mother would say," Rick said. She was kind of hoping to go unnoticed and not have to break anyone's leg, arm, or whatever. "Good luck with the plane or planes," she told him and vanished in a swirl of clouds.

"Let's get started B5. How many planes does the FBI have? Ones that have the range to reach Europe or Hong Kong. And if they have to stop somewhere, there should be a fuel purchase history," Rick inquired, and watched B5's lights blink a little faster.

"The FBI has several planes. Each field office has a jet that is capable of reaching Europe provided that they stop in New York for fuel. In addition they have a jet that is assigned to the BAU division of the FBI. There are a dozen twin turbo props, however none are capable of reaching Europe," B5 responded.

"Fuel log history?" Rick was hoping for a fuel history. They might remember to modify flight logs, but overlook where they bought fuel and when. "There is only one jet that has fuel logs registered at Heathrow airport. It has been fueled there a total of 8 times," B5 informed him.

"And who is listed as checking the plane out during these flights?"

"The assistant director of the New York field office is listed as the only occupant," B5 told him.

"Really?" Rick got to thinking. "Can you check his credit card purchases during those dates?" He would look them up and go there if necessary.

"He has used his credit card four of those times. Each one is listed as being here in New York City," B5 replied. Rick really liked that information. "Tell me where that jet is located now." He knew where his first stop was located.

"There is additional information. Three of the twin turbo props are shown to have flown out shortly after the jet landed at JFK. Flight plans indicate they flew to DC, Dallas, and Miami." B5 intoned.

"The jet lands and they disperse it immediately to other planes to get it out of New York as soon as possible." He didn't know if going there now was necessary. "Still, tell me where the jet is now. I can at least scan it to see if there are any residual traces of heroin on the plane," Rick remarked and got the location from B5.

"I have completed DNA testing on the weapons that you found and had me analyze," B5 informed him.

Jolene Granger

Chuck Ryker

Lance Cambridge

Jason Kochler

Morgan Corday

Alex Hooperman

Reese Corday

"Work up a history of each of them and we can go over them later. Planes first, dead people later," Rick instructed B5 and pressed the gem in his palm.

xxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXxxxxX

Kate was walking between countless numbers of cargo containers with Alexis following a little behind her, keeping her ears open. She was pointing a finger at each and every container that she passed by, even the ones that were stacked on top of the other. She was beginning to regret taking the docks. The place was huge!

One of her fingers started to pulse like a heartbeat, which made Kate smile. "Keep watch Alexis," she asked and pointed her finger at the lock that was on the door.

"Meow." _Count on it._

She started opening the door cursing silently at all the noise it was making. Getting them open, she was confronted with a stack of boxes from side to side, floor to roof. "B5 thinks there is something in here," Kate said to herself. The problem was that she couldn't reach the box at the top and work her way down so she started working on pulling out a box lower down, taking the risk that they wouldn't all come tumbling down on top of her. Her box actually had some weight to it. Sure enough the upper ones began to crash down on her so she dropped her box and stopped the avalanche that was threatening her. She soon had a pile of boxes only to find another layer of boxes. That layer of boxes had very little weight to them so she started throwing them out of the container.

"MEOW!" _Don't hit the cat_ _!_

"Sorry Alexis." She tried to look where she was throwing boxes after that. She finally had a hole in her wall of boxes and what she saw had her working even harder at throwing boxes out of the container. Soon Kate was standing there looking at pallet after pallet that looked to fill the rest of the container with bag after bag that was encased behind clear plastic wrap to hold it all in place. "Holy shit!" She had hit the mother lode.

This container was on the ground with several more sitting on top of it. Kate pointed her finger at the ones above her and got nothing back from B5. "Doesn't mean there isn't another one," she told herself.

"MEOW!" _Company!_

Alexis took off at a run to get around the container and come up behind who was coming. Kate turned to find 4 men approaching her. Only one looked like he might be trouble since he probably weighed close to 300 pounds. She wasn't worried about what he could do to her, it was the challenge of it if it turned into a hand to hand fight. All that fat would be hard to get past.

"Well, what do we have here? I think we have an unexpected visitor," one of the men mentioned. "I get first dibs. You three can decide on who gets sloppy seconds," another added.

Kate, however, wasn't amused. She had already spent 5 years being raped but this time she had something to say about it. "Sorry boys but you look tired," she informed them and pointed four of her fingers at them. She watched as smiles came over their faces. "Step right over here boys and have a seat, you look really tired and could use a nap." Kate guided all of them over to the side of a container and helped them sit down. "Now let's see just who you four are, shall we?" She started searching for their wallets.

She was just starting to look at the third man's wallet when there was a sudden scream followed by a roar. "ALEXIS!" Kate dropped the wallet and ran around the container to find Alexis had just ripped a guy's arm off his body. An arm that had a gun in it.

She watched as Alexis let go of his arm, moved in and bit his neck ripping it open with blood spurting out all over everywhere including on Alexis as a tiger. She quickly let go of him, moved towards Kate, and stood next to her. They both watched him bleed out and die. "Was that necessary?" she queried. She wasn't a big fan of killing.

"Growl." _He had a gun and you didn't see him._

She thought about it and decided that Alexis was there as her backup. She knew Alexis would never let anything happen to her if she could prevent it. "Thanks Alexis." Kate petted the big tiger. "Keep watch. I need to get their IDs and a sample of the drug for B5 to analyze. Then we can leave and I'll give you a bath," she stated since Alexis was a mess.

Kate had just the four IDs not wanting to look for the 5th man's ID. She moved back into the container, cut the tape, and took one of the bags. "Let's go home Alexis." She walked up to Alexis and they disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

They ended up in the bathroom in the basement. "Stay here and I'll be back to wash you," Kate told her and vanished in a twisting column of clouds.

"I've got something for you to analyze B5." She placed her bag on the panel. "If we tell the FBI about the container it will get us nothing, won't it?" Kate questioned B5. "The assistant director of the local field office will likely not respond," B5 confirmed. "How about the DEA?" Kate inquired. "Likely the same based on information Richard found in the files in the office of the assistant director," B5 affirmed. "And calling the police will get us Captain Montgomery," Kate moaned. That container probably had hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of drugs inside it. It had to go.

"Okay, let's try this. Inform both agencies of the container filled with heroin along with the Coast Guard. That container got here on a ship; let's see if they feel secure enough that all three of them can ignore it or cover it up. And send it to everyone in all three local offices, not just the guy in charge." Kate was dying to see them try and cover that up.

"Start work on that bag, I have to go give Alexis a bath. …Oh and where is Rick?" She stopped for a moment. "Richard is presently at one of the FBI jets looking it over before chasing down the twin turbo props that were used to distribute the drug to locations further out," B5 informed her.

Kate teleported to their bedroom, put on a bikini, and then teleported down to the basement to give Alexis that bath. She had been working on Alexis for a little while, trying to get the water to run clean. "You are one big cat!" Alexis outweighed her and was actually bigger than she was.

"Growl." _Thank you_ _,_ _I think._

She chuckled. "Okay, you're clean," she informed her as she turned on the fan and watched Alexis stick her face in front of it. All she could do was stand there, amazed, as she watched Alexis. She was a very weird cat. "Stay here and get dry. I'm going to go talk to B5 again," Kate told her and disappeared in a swirl of clouds. "Okay B5. What have you got on the drug?"

"The sample you have provided is from Turkey. The video you took of the container and the manifest that is online shows the ship's name. It is presently on its way to a port in Miami before going into the Gulf of Mexico and heading for Galveston, Texas," B5 informed her.

"With more containers filled with heroin? This is great, just great." She sat down in one of the dining room chairs. "Think Kate, think. …Can I get on board the ship and scan each and every container?" she questioned. "The average container ship is capable of holding 3,500 containers," B5 responded. "Okay. Scratch that idea." She knew she stood no chance of even getting close enough to that many containers.

"This ship after leaving New York presently has 1,456 containers still on board," B5 advised her. "About half, which is still at least a thousand too many," Kate pointed out.

"B5 call the Miami FBI, the Miami DEA, and the Coast Guard. They need to stop and search that ship and when they find something, have them question the New York FBI and DEA as to why they didn't warn them about this ship because of the container full of heroin in New York.

Which reminds me - that container needs to stay and not just disappear. ALEXIS! And B5, make sure the authorities show up to confiscate the container, I don't want these people to get their drugs back. ALEXIS! …Oh, and I need an appropriate ID to get them to listen to me," Kate added. "AL…" Kate watched Alexis the tiger jog into the kitchen.

"Growl." _You yelled._

"We're going back out to the container so I need you as a tabby cat again, and B5 - here are the IDs of four of the five that attacked us. Please look them up and see who they are involved with." Kate put their wallets on the panel.

She gathered up Alexis the tabby cat. "Hopefully we don't have to worry about the people that are going to show up, but I want you on the exterior and please keep your eyes open," Kate asked her.

"Your ID is ready," B5 told Kate. She picked it up and they disappeared in a swirl of clouds and ended up in the bedroom where Kate got dressed again.

Kate and Alexis arrived in front of the container again and found that it looked just like it had when she left it a short time ago. The four, no make that five men were still there too. "I want you up a little high Alexis. I want you to look out for anything and everyone," Kate explained as she teleported Alexis up high. "Stay a cat for now, change if you have to. I think you can jump your way down from here if you want." Kate saw a series of containers that got lower and lower.

"Meow." _I'll be fine._

She teleported back down to the container and got to work on moving the dead body first, pointing a finger at all the blood. The three guys taking a nap soon found themselves in someone's empty office. Kate was soon back at the container and waited, not that she had long to wait. One black Yukon, one black Lincoln Town car, and one white vehicle that had Coast Guard written on it with a slanted wide red stripe and a narrow blue stripe arrived almost simultaneously.

Only one person got out of the Yukon and approached Kate and showed her his ID. "Will Sorenson, FBI. And you are?" he demanded. He had to find a way to contain this mess. "We'll wait for your friends first," Kate informed him as two DEA and two Coast Guard officers approached. "Glad you guys could make it; we have a serious problem here." Kate waved her arm at the container filled with heroin.

"Yes, we do at that," the lead DEA agent admitted. He knew who Sorenson was, but having the Coast Guard there along with this woman was putting him between a rock and a hard place. "And you are?" He settled on working out who the woman was first. It didn't look like she or the Coast Guard men were armed which gave him an advantage. Kate pulled out her ID. "Katherine Beckett, assistant to Janet Reno, United States Attorney General."

Sorenson and the two DEA men tried to keep from gulping air while the Coast Guard men were wondering why they were even there in the first place.

"You are hereby ordered to call in a team to secure, catalog, and transport this container filled with a number of kilos of heroin to be processed for destruction," she advised them. "We don't take orders from the Attorney General. This is now a matter for the DEA to handle." He tried to bluff his way into being in charge.

"You are incorrect. Ms. Reno is a member of the President's Cabinet. The Attorney General, Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Defense are the four top members of the President's Cabinet. That alone places you two, Agent Sorenson here, as well as our two distinguished members of the Coast Guard under her command at any time she so chooses. As her assistant, that places me in command here and you have your orders," Kate informed all of them which got the DEA guys and Sorenson to keep quiet while they thought.

"Officers, I have something for you two to handle. This container came off of a container ship that is presently headed for the Port of Miami, followed by the Port of Galveston. You are hereby ordered to stop that ship the moment it enters the United States 12 mile limit, board it, and have it searched for two more containers holding the same amount of heroin. Here is your paperwork." Kate held it out to one of the Coast Guard officers.

The lead DEA agent quickly ripped it out of her hand. "The DEA has jurisdiction over all drug arrests, we'll handle it." Kate stepped in close and snatched the papers away from him. "The ship in question is presently in international waters and the second it comes within the 12 mile limit it becomes the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard." She handed them to the officer. "You have your orders officer. Rear Admiral John H "Jake" Korn is already expecting your call to confirm what you have found in New York," she informed him.

The two DEA agents as well as Sorenson didn't like that a military Rear Admiral that was not part of their circle was now involved. How had she found this container in the first place? They needed her alive if they could, dead if they couldn't. They also had to get this container moved.

She was expecting a hostile move given what she knew about him. Kate, however, was faster and stronger. She grabbed Sorenson's arm just as he pulled his weapon out of his holster. She raised it up high as Will squeezed the trigger, getting off a round that went up into the air. Kate yanked his arm back down using her other arm to intersect the movement which broke his wrist causing him to lose control of his weapon that fell to the ground as he yelled in pain. She used her advantage to kick him in the balls, causing a howl of agony. As Will doubled over, Kate used her continued advantage to lift his head and slam it down into her knee that she had drawn up, breaking his nose.

She used his bent over form to jump up using his back as a base to spin kick the other DEA agent as he started to pull out his weapon. His head snapped to one side nicely as he fell to the ground.

Kate landed on her feet and struck the other lead DEA agent in the throat using the tips of her fingers. This action severely damaged his larynx causing him to forget his weapon and clutch at his throat. She followed this action by smashing her open palm into his nose, forcing his now broken nose into his face. He was now on the ground choking and bleeding.

She stepped over to the DEA agent lying on the ground and relieved him of his weapon. In seconds she had it broken down into several parts and dropped them on the ground followed by lifting up his head and smashing her open palm into his already damaged jaw, fracturing it, and then let him fall.

Kate looked around. The two DEA agents were down as was the FBI agent, while the two Coast Guard officers were just standing there, open mouthed, watching it all. "Sorry that you got involved in this officers. These three are part of this shipment. Rear Admiral Korn is expecting your call," she advised to get them moving.

"These three are my problem, you two need to get going. I want that ship and the other two containers," she told them. "Yes ma'am," one of them responded and they both saluted her. They both jogged to their vehicle to make that call and start filling out their report. A Rear Admiral was involved, if she was correct, and they liked their jobs.

She made sure she was alone. "Now what do I do with you three?" She definitely had a problem. If she allowed them to be arrested, they would likely never serve jail time. Someone above them would rescue them or kill them to keep them silent. Plus either she or Rick might like to talk to them to gain information. Some time alone in the middle of nowhere just might loosen their tongues.

"I think I've got just the place for you three." Kate began with Will and they vanished in a column of clouds, followed by the other two in just a minute.

 _ **Dallol, Ethiopia**_

 _Fancy living and working somewhere with an average yearly temperature of 34°C (94°F), where summer days never drop below a toasty 40°C (104°F)? Then you may understand why Dallol in a remote corner of northern Ethiopia's Afar Depression is an uninhabited, uninhabitable ghost town._

 _Even getting there is a tall order – it is extraordinarily remote with no connecting roads. It owes its existence to the local production of potash, enabled in 1918 by the construction of a railway terminal 28km (17.4 mi) away to shuttle raw materials to Mersa Fatuma. After its short-lived heyday, the settlement fell into decline when demand for potassium salts was met by overseas markets – and when the British dismantled the railway after the Second World War, Dallol's fate was sealed._

 _Today, the settlement is little more than a series of shattered, crumbling walls of salt-block bricking, littered with rusting vehicles and pieces of mining machinery – and apart from the_ _occasional intrepid visitor, it is out of human influence, out of sight and out of mind._


	36. Chapter 36

**CH36**

Rick showed up at the FBI jet and pointed his finger at it while walking around it before working on the door's lock to open it and scan the interior. "So if they're using this to run drugs why are all the seats in place?" he said to himself. "Removing them and putting them back in place would take time, but removing them would create more space." He scanned everything and moved to the cockpit.

He was hoping the most recent pilot left behind some DNA as he scanned the cockpit. Rick sat down in the pilot's seat and decided to see the system readouts. However that meant he had to start up the jet. He simply pointed fingers over the controls and watched the jet come to life.

The engineering section told him how many hours the jets of the plane had been run. He could use that information to match them up with the written flight log records and his fuel purchases to find out how far this jet had actually traveled instead of what was shown.

His scans would tell B5 if the radio was functioning perfectly and what it was presently set at. Rick was still looking around. "DON'T MOVE!" a new voice suddenly advised him.

He cursed internally. He had screwed up yet again. He had forgotten that he didn't have Alexis watching his back. He slowly raised his hands and bent one of his fingers to point at whomever it was, followed by turning his head to look at him.

Rick was pleased to see him standing there with a big smile on his face with his weapon hanging at his side. He was able to get out of the pilot's seat as he pointed at all the controls that shut the jet back down. "Let's go back into the cabin and sit down. …That's right, just sit right down, you've had a long day already and need a nap."

He took his weapon away from him and took it apart while keeping a small piece. "Let's see who you are." Rick pulled out his wallet and scanned it so B5 could look him up. "Let's give everyone something to think about shall we?" He took the man's money and his credit cards and dropped his wallet on the floor.

He pressed the gem in his hand, vanished in a swirling column of clouds, then arrived where one of the two twin turbo props was sitting. Rick walked around it while pointing his finger before unlocking the door and going inside. "Are these runs really that small?" he questioned. Like the jet, this plane had all its seats.

"Maybe these flights are sent to open up new areas for distribution. Are these flights only used to send a large sample of what is available?" Rick scanned the interior and sat down in the pilot's seat. He soon had both engines running as he looked over all of the instruments.

He shutdown the plane and wished he had time to look around where he was. "Maybe Kate would like to come during Mardi Gras after we finish this mission." Then Rick sighed. "On to the next plane." And he pressed the gem in his hand leaving the still open plane behind.

He wanted the people to know the plane had been searched. He wanted the people or person in charge to start being involved personally. They needed leads on who this person or people were.

Rick was soon standing next to the second twin turbo prop and scanned it as he walked around it before unlocking it. Like the others, he found it still had its seats. "Maybe they are trying to open up new markets," he speculated.

Like the previous planes, he scanned the interior before sitting down in the pilot's seat and firing up both engines to look at all of the plane's readings. He did notice that this plane, like the others, was low on fuel. No one was flying any of the three anywhere without filling it with fuel first. "Interesting. Did they not top off the tanks for the flight or did they drain them after landing?"

This airport was larger than the other one and while still sitting in the pilot's seat he noticed an airport security car approaching his location. "Time to leave." He disappeared in a swirl of clouds, leaving a still operational plane behind him. _'_ _Let's see what the bad guys think about that_ _!'_ he thought, pleased with himself.

Rick arrived in front of B5 finding Kate and Alexis already there. "Hi babe." Kate kissed him. "Find anything?"

"Let's find out," he murmured as he pressed his finger on B5's panel to download everything he had scanned. "I'm wondering if the jet and twin turbo props are being used to transport large samples for distribution to open up new markets. The turbo props were in New Orleans and Houston," he informed her.

"That's interesting. I found a shipping container filled with heroin and evidence that there are two more on a container ship. It will be stopping at Miami and Galveston," Kate told him. "Miami already has a big drug trade. The Miami stop may only be to fill empty shelves. Galveston, however, sounds like a good place to distribute to other areas like New Orleans and all of Texas," he suggested.

"There are large amounts of this crap in each container babe. Each one is worth hundreds of millions," she pointed out, not even touching on all the lives that were going to be destroyed with this stuff.

"So they are shipping it in instead of flying it in. Guess that rules out the military being involved. C-130's or C-17's." Rick was thinking that the bigger cargo planes might have been involved.

"They might still be involved babe. Perhaps they are being used in Turkey or the surrounding area. Load them onto a C-130 and fly to a coast where they can unload it into a container and onto a ship," Kate countered.

"Transport by truck to the coast would be simpler. Hire drivers and their trucks that are hurting and will haul anything with no questions asked. They need the money for themselves and their family," he posited.

She thought they both had a point. "Road trip?" Kate proposed. Meaning they would go to Turkey and look around for themselves.

"Where we need to go will likely mean no hotels; we'll have to rough it. Tents, sleeping bags, cooking on an open fire, using bushes," he warned her. She wasn't scared. "Do we have camping supplies?" she asked, getting Rick to smile. "We will before the end of the day."

"I've never been to Turkey. Can we spend a day in say Istanbul, in a hotel maybe?" she asked hopefully. "I'll start researching hotels before we hit the trail in the middle of nowhere," he responded as she kissed him.

"Oh! I had a run-in with one Will Sorenson and a pair of dirty DEA agents." She placed their wallets on the panel after taking off the 5 thugs' IDs. "FBI Sorenson? Interesting. …Where are they now?" he asked her. "Dallol, Ethiopia," Kate told him. Rick smiled widely. "I knew doing research on remote locations would come in handy."

"I wonder what the assistant director of the local field office will do now that he has lost his right hand man," he mused.

"B5 please tell me that the bug someone else planted is still working." He wanted to hear what he did about this set back. "It is still operational. He is presently out of his office," B5 informed him. "Excellent, keep monitoring it. Whomever planted it may someday come to find out why it isn't working for them anymore," he told B5. "Understood," B5 responded.

"I'm going to go shopping, since it looks like we'll be out in the middle of nowhere Turkey soon." Rick kissed Kate and headed for his car.

Tent (with stakes and guylines)

Tent footprint

Sleeping bags (with optional liners)

Sleeping pads

Backpacks

Pillows

Multi-tool or knife

Daypacks (see our Day Hiking Checklist)

Trekking poles

Mallet or hammer (for tent stakes)

Headlamps (with extra batteries)

Flashlights (with extra batteries, bulbs)

Lanterns (with mantles, if needed)

Lantern fuel or batteries

Water filter or treatment tablets

Moisture-wicking T-shirts

Moisture-wicking underwear

Quick-drying pants/shorts

Long-sleeve shirts (for sun, bugs)

Sun-shielding hats

Bandanas or buffs

Boots or shoes suited to terrain

Socks (synthetic or wool)

Long underwear

Sleepwear

Insulating jacket or vest

Insulated pants

Gloves or mittens

Rainwear (jacket and pants)

Stove

Windscreen

Fuel

Fuel bottle(s) with fuel funnel

Matches/lighter

Grilling rack

Frying pan

Cook pots

Portable coffee/espresso maker

Hot-cold vacuum bottle

Bottle opener/corkscrew

Can opener

Recipes

Food-storage containers

Resealable storage bags

Water bottles

Plates, bowls, mixing bowls

Mugs/cups

Utensils

Funnel

Foil

Biodegradable soap

Pot scrubber/sponge(s)

Collapsible water container(s)

Quick-dry towels

Coffee

Cereal/granola/oatmeal

Eggs (freeze-dried)

Breakfast bars

Meat (jerky)

Soup mixes/bouillon cubes

Prepared or freeze-dried meals

Salt/pepper

Milk (powdered)

Cocoa

Drink mixes

Bottled/canned beverages

Energy food (bars, gels, trail mix)

Fruit (dried)

Cheese

Crackers/chips

Toilet paper

Sunscreen

Lip balm

Insect repellent

Hand sanitizer

Alcohol or antiseptic wipes

Mirror

First-aid kit

Toothbrush, toiletry kit

Brush/comb

Eyeshades; earplugs

Biodegradable soap

Playing cards

Glow sticks

Silverware/plastic silverware

Razor

Feminine products

Soap in plastic case/shampoo

Tooth brush/tooth paste

Binoculars

 _ **Ruffles, Istanbul Turkey**_

 _Horizon Suite, one bedroom, dining room, Make-up area, walk-in closet, 1970 Sq. Ft. in area, Breathtaking views of the Bosphorus from bedroom, living room and bathroom._

"WOW RICK! You really know how to pick hotel rooms, even if it is only for one night. And this view!" Kate dropped her very heavy backpack which was all either of them had on them.

He simply smiled hoping that he was converting her to living in a hotel room instead of just sleeping and sitting on a bed. "Can we go see!?" She wanted to see Istanbul, not just stare at the view out of her hotel room window.

He looked at his watch. "We have a private tour guide who is meeting us downstairs in…10 minutes so go freshen up and let's go see Istanbul," he told her which had her running for the bathroom only to come back for her backpack.

 _ **Private Istanbul Tour**_

 _Explore the fascinating history of Istanbul as you stroll by world-famous monuments with your private guide. Visit Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome of Romans, Grand Bazaar, Spice Market._

"That was amazing Rick, thank you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

"We're not done yet. We still have a night tour to go out on. How about a shower first? We have…Oooo, only 45 minutes." He had thought they would have more time, but their tour had taken a little longer than advertised. Not that he was complaining. Their tour guide knew his city inside and out.

Forty-five minutes had Kate moaning. It meant she didn't have time for Rick to wash her and have some fun in the shower and since they were going backpacking after this, she didn't have space to bring her bed restraints and tie him to the bed again.

"Sorry Alexis, but you need to stay here in the room for this tour. I promise to bring you something fresh from Turkey for you to eat," he said, feeling bad about leaving her behind.

"Meow." _Something only found local_ _ly_ _maybe_ _?_ Alexis wanted to taste something special too.

 _ **Istanbul by Night: Turkish Food Tour**_

 _Discover Istanbul's culinary delights on a 5-hour evening food tour of the capital. Led by an expert local guide, your tour includes visit to all the food hotspots around the city that many tourists don't even know about. Check out a traditional 'simit' bakery, grill your own kebabs on an open fire in a barbeque restaurant, and visit a 'meyhane' (Turkish tapas bar) for meze and live music! 7:00 pm to 12:30 am._

They both found a new bakery item that would require some research to find in New York City, or they could just teleport here to get some and go back home.

Kate grilled Rick his kebab while he did the same for her. At the Meze bar they split a ground lamb pizza, butter cookies with clove sugar, herbed zucchini fetta fritters. "You are so going to take lessons in how to cook Turkish food babe." She was going to use B5 to find him a place that would teach him.

 _Bosphorus Karbon Stout_ "This is actually pretty good beer." He was enjoying it even though she had given up on hers. It didn't have the taste that she liked and it suddenly hit her that she just might be pregnant.

Kate was having fun and was planning on what she was going to have Rick do when they got back home. For the first time perhaps since this all began she was feeling lose and having fun. She was just feeling good about herself, as she was hanging onto him, laughing and happy as the night was ending for them.

"We need to stop and find something for Alexis," Rick reminded her. Kate stood up straight and sobered up for a moment. "Alexis! I almost forgot. Did we pack food for her?" She didn't remember. "I stuffed 2 cans of salmon into your backpack while I have another one along with some dry cat food in a plastic bag. I didn't dare bring her crystal dish though," he said.

That made her feel better. "We need a food market." She went looking for a taxi to find Alexis a fish. Their taxi driver took them to Balık Pazarı since it was open late. It didn't take long to find a stall that sold a number of different fish, most of which Kate and even Rick had never seen. The problem with being in a local mall was the language. He did his best to show that he wanted one that tasted the best.

The man in the market stall picked out a fish that Rick noticed was the most expensive one he had, its only problem was that it was kind of small. Alexis needed something bigger. He shook his head and pointed at the biggest one he had from that same type. That had the shop keeper smiling. "Teşekkür ederim, teşekkür ederim." He was one happy propriator. _**Dülger**_ _(John Dory Fish)_ _tends to be quite tasty and expensive._

"What about tomorrow morning babe? Our hotel room has a refrigerator," she reminded him, which had him pointing to the next largest of the same fish getting the stall owner to waste no time in bagging it for him and accepting his money.

"We need to hit the ATM machine in the hotel again, these two fish have tapped me out," he moaned. Kate simply kissed him. "You know Alexis will thank you for it."

Back at the hotel, she collapsed backwards onto the sofa while looking out over the famous bridge while he put one of the raw fish on a plate from the kitchenette for Alexis. He soon plopped down on the sofa next to her. "How do you feel?" he asked her.

"Full, tired, happy." She never dreamed her life would be like this.

"Not nauseous?" he asked. She turned her head to look at him and placed a hand on her abdomen. His question had Kate wondering if she was pregnant and just didn't know it yet. "No, I feel fine."

Rick placed on his hands on hers over her abdomen. "Are you worried?"

"NO! …I mean not worried about the baby. Between what _they_ did and having B5, he or she will be perfectly healthy. I'm just not sure I'm ready to be a mother yet." Kate didn't see herself being like Johanna, her mother.

"I didn't see myself as being a father either. Meredith showed up and told me she was pregnant and it scared the crap out of me. Having to fight for my baby's life didn't help any…" She interrupted him. "I am _so_ going to hurt that woman if I ever see her. As bad as it sounds, I would love to find someone who would hold her for 5 years and make a sex slave out of her," Kate fumed. See how Meredith would like being drugged and raped over and over!

"I hate to break it to you, but I think Meredith would _like_ to be someone's sex slave. She might even take control over him." Rick knew Meredith was a force unto herself.

"My point is, you're nothing like her. You're already worried about the baby when Meredith didn't even want to be pregnant. You'll do great Kate, we'll be great. I promise." He hugged her. She simply melted into Rick, happy to have him.

"MEOW!" _That was delicious!_

"We have one more for you in the morning before we leave," she said. Alexis jumped into Rick's lap and rubbed up against him.

"Meow." _Thanks_ _D_ _ad._

"I'd take credit for it, but it was Kate who talked me into them, especially the second one," he remarked. Alexis walked across Rick to get in Kate's lap and rubbed up against her.

"You love Kate. You love me, you love Alexis, and I think you've learned to love your parents as well. You'll love the baby too, especially when they hand you that little bundle for the first time. You won't be able to help yourself." Rick knew it would happen.

"MEOW!?" _You're pregnant_ _M_ _om_ _!_ _?_


	37. Chapter 37

**CH37**

"What did you say Alexis?" Kate stared at her not believing what she heard. Alexis twisted her head not believing that she had to repeat herself.

"Meow." _I asked if you were pregnant._

"I heard that part clearly, I meant the part you said after that. The part about me being your mom," Kate clarified.

"Meow. Meow?" _You married_ _D_ _ad. Doesn't that make you my mother?_

Kate hugged Alexis tightly, kissed her head just between her ears, and blinked back her tears. She hadn't thought of herself as being Alexis's mother. Alexis was a cat. And a tiger and a child for an hour every 2 years. "Call me whatever makes you happy Alexis." She decided that whatever it was, she would adapt.

"Where are we going tomorrow?" She changed the subject. "Amasya Province. It's about 8 hours east of here by car or about 1-1/2 hours by plane, or instantly for us. It's about 2,130 square miles of space with a population of around 330,000. It's divided into 7 districts. We'll be down in the valleys traveling by foot with a few jumps from place to place to speed things up a bit," Rick explained.

"In that case I'm going to sleep since I'm going to be walking all over the place tomorrow," Kate said and began stripping for bed. Soon she was cuddled up close to Rick who was just as naked.

Come morning Alexis was eating her fish while Rick had Kate up against the shower wall lifting her legs up to wrap around him. "We need a condom." He stopped and started to release her. "My period is due in about a week. I'm likely already pregnant, so just fuck me. PLEASE!" Kate kept her legs tight around his body and felt him place his erection at her entrance as she moaned from the teasing. "Babe, please!" She was soon screaming out his name as she climaxed, her muscles squeezing his penis inside her. It took a few minutes for her to get her breathing under control; she loved making love to her husband.

She was dressing with the clothes in her bag as he teleported home with the clothes they had worn to get there in, intending to bring back more water to stuff into the void that their clothes left.

While he was gone, Alexis was eating her fish and Kate was thinking about the additional amount of Rick's swimmers that were now inside her. Their talk had left her less worried about being pregnant. Now she was actually hoping that if the broken condom hadn't gotten her pregnant, maybe this morning had. She had a week to wonder, not that her periods had come like clockwork even after the aliens had fixed her. She blamed it on stress.

Rick was soon back. "Where to first babe?" Kate knew they had a lot of ground to cover. "We'll start with the valley around Merzifon just off of E80. It has a road that leads to a coastal city on the Black Sea," he answered.

"And out of the Black Sea through Istanbul. Is Turkey or Russia behind this? Distribute enough drugs to do what? Force the US to push the button? That makes no sense," she said. If Russia wanted to survive a nuclear exchange, there had to be no exchange at all.

"Rick, the political base is in DC, not far from New York. Miami is close to NASA's launch site. Houston is home to Mission Control. They would never see the missiles coming if everyone was hooked on heroin or in withdrawal." She was trying to piece it all together. "No, that still wouldn't work. That leaves the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station under a mountain in Colorado. There's always someone around to push the button." She was running out of ideas.

"I think you are thinking too big Kate. Dumb it down just a little," Rick suggested. Kate tried to think. Cops, the Mob, the FBI, the DEA all lead them to heroin shipments which got them out here in Istanbul and soon to be deep into Turkey. "NO! …It can't be that simple. It just can't." She thought she had it. "Why not? There is only one thing in the universe that is older than this and even it requires it, at least they do now. People fight for it. People steal it. Do anything they can to get it. It's simple," he submitted.

She opened her mouth to say something only to close it again. "We're at the start. What happens determines if our planet turns into a radioactive ball of dust or not. Somehow heroin is involved in it. Let's go see what we can find." She picked up her backpack and started fastening herself into its frame, watching him do the same.

"Up Alexis," Rick told her and Kate watched her jump into his arms. "Let's go see what we can find." They both pressed the gem in their hands and vanished in a swirl of clouds.

Kate looked around and immediately liked what she saw. "It's nice, low rolling hills, lots of grass in this area. And it's comfortable out even. It feels like what? 73 degrees maybe," she stated. "I think we're too close to town. Let's head into the valley, that way," he pointed and they started walking.

The road they were on was a dirt road that showed signs of being used. She watched him kneel down to look closer at it. "What do you think?"

"It doesn't look like heavy traffic to me. Kilos of heroin, even if it's not processed yet, has weight to it. You said that container was loaded with it," he pointed out. "And if we're too close to town they wouldn't risk it, we need to get further out." Rick stood back up. "Ten miles that way," he gestured as she nodded in agreement and they disappeared in a whirlwind of clouds.

"This looks like a good place to look around. D795 is just a few miles east of here and Amasya Merzifon Havilimani is several miles northeast of here," Rick indicated and saw Kate's confused look. "Local airport. Big enough for an FBI jet," he clarified.

"No more dirt road," she pointed out as they began walking through grass with no rolling hills in sight. "I don't see any water or even a stream. Wouldn't it help to have water close?" she asked. "The closest lake is several miles west of here. Citli Goleti with the river Koseler Cayi. The closest villages are Cilti and Eymir," he offered, having done his homework with B5 before coming here.

"I vote we start there first before moving on," she said. He didn't see any reason not to. "Take my arm, we'll take the road between the two villages," he told her, since he knew where they were going and they were gone in a swirl of clouds.

"West looks too dry with hills. You said we need a valley for poppy fields. South on the road?" Kate suggested. Rick nodded and they started walking. "I've got binoculars in the top of my pack I think. Would you look for them please?" He knelt down so she could reach down in the top of his backpack easier. "Found them," she told him and buttoned his backpack closed again. "Good. You use them and direct us where to go. Please keep an eye on the road in both directions. We don't need any surprise company," he explained.

It took them a couple of hours to reach the bridge across the river and they hadn't seen anyone yet. "Babe?" Kate knelt down at the edge of the bridge, getting Rick to do the same. "Deep tracks. Something heavy has traveled this road a number of times. This bridge is probably the only bridge strong enough to handle the weight," he said thoughtfully.

She walked to the other side and used the binoculars to look around. "Looks like the village Citli is that way. Appears to be good sized too. Maybe a thousand people or so. I think I see a small road headed east just south of here. There's also a small tree line next to it," she commented. "Excellent, let's take it. We need wood if we want to have hot food tonight," Rick explained. "We could just go home tonight and come back after we eat," Kate pointed out a flaw in this camping out and cooking outdoors part.

"And pass up the chance to have sex with you in a semi-public space?" Rick surprised her and started walking south down the road, missing the look of shock on Kate's face. He didn't, however, miss Kate's sudden intake of breath and the hitch in her breathing. Eventually he heard her walking fast to catch up to him.

They reached the road with the small tree line. "It looks like the tree line is the rough shape of a fish hook with us being the hole at the top," she said as she looked through the binoculars. "There's a dust cloud headed our way from the village," she warned."Teleport into the trees off the road into the vertical portion of the hook," Rick told her and they both disappeared in a twist of clouds. Kate moved to the west edge and lifted the binoculars. "It's an old flatbed truck. It looks like it's on its last legs too. It's really moving though, and it's loaded with white bags. Lots of them actually." She watched it pass their position before going out of sight. They both waited to see if it came down their little road, but it didn't.

"It must be headed for Eymir I'm guessing. Cilti collects the poppy harvest, and processes it, where it is moved to Eymir for storage. If something happens to Cilti they still have the warehouses in Eymir," he speculated. She couldn't counter his thinking so she kept quiet.

"Back to the road and head east," Rick said and they stepped back out onto the road with Kate looking ahead and behind them from time to time.

There was a thin group of trees on the left side of the road. "Something hot for lunch?" he suggested since his stomach was growling. Kate nodded in agreement. "Where's the tip of the fish hook you talked about?" he asked as she pointed south. It turned out that there was a tractor road that took them right to it. He kept walking along the edge of the trees til the trees got a little thicker and decided that was as good a place as any and dropped his backpack.

"Any trees east of here?" he inquired, getting her to look. "Not many. If we go back to the road and go east I think there is a ditch with a clump of trees," she said. "That's good actually. If it is a dry ditch we can camp at the bottom and use the ditch to hide the light from our fire. We can get the wood we need from the trees." He liked it.

First they had to go hunting for dry wood lying on the ground with which to cook their lunch.

"My parents idea of camping was camping out back of the cabin they owned. It wasn't much and it was a little old and run down. Dad spent weeks out there with my uncle patching it back together. There was a big pond out back somewhere if I remember correctly. I haven't been there in years," Kate commented as she sat and watched Rick cook.

"My dad fancied himself a pro fisherman. He never caught a damn thing in that pond." Kate started chuckling. "It didn't stop him from trying though. That place really was in the middle of nowhere." She smiled. "How big?" Rick asked trying to get her to remember more. "The place was compartmentalized. Definitely not open concept. Living room, tiny dining room, equally tiny kitchen. Bedroom on the first floor along with the only bathroom. Two bedrooms on the second floor. My room was upstairs, first door on the right. Mom and dad took the bedroom downstairs.

I had to trudge up and down the stairs to use the bathroom or take a shower in the morning. I remember my dad pounding on the door trying to get me to hurry up and get out of the bathroom. I just kept doing what I was doing and he never came back." She was still confused about that. "He probably used the outhouse outside," Rick said since he had a good idea why Jim wanted in so badly. "We didn't have an outhouse. Just the one bathroom," she said confusedly. "OHh!" She finally caught on. "Oops." She scrunched her face and looked down at the ground while he chuckled lightly.

"You're memory is getting better," Rick remarked. Kate lifted her head and stared at him. It wasn't until he said something that she had noticed. "Yeah, but I was just a kid. I was in grade school."

"And camping here caused you to remember. Maybe that is how your memory will come back to you little by little," he suggested. "Yeah, maybe."

"Lunch?" He offered up her half. "Thanks babe." She would have settled for a cold lunch, but this was nice. He killed the fire to get rid of the smoke so that no one came out looking. "I thought we had a small stove with some fuel?" Kate questions. "I'm saving it for when it gets dark, that way we don't give off the light of a fire, even down in your little ditch." Rick explains.

"It looks like the valley starts here and goes east," she said. "And there has to be a way to cross that ditch of yours to get the product into Cilti, if one or more of the poppy fields is out there," he added.

"We should be ready to stop one of those trucks too. See if what's on it matches the sample we have at home," she remarked. "We only have supplies for a few days," he reminded her. "So we go home, load up, and come back here and wait for the next truck. Three containers filled with loads of heroin means there have to be lots of trucks," she replied. Rick nodded, agreeing. "Except that much heroin likely means they are getting it from other areas of Turkey in this province," he countered. "Still this is the one place we know about. Maybe a midnight raid in town?" she proposed. "Armed with a map from B5. I like it!" He was in. "It'll give Alexis a chance to walk around as a tiger. We can go home and get her several pounds of steak." He was liking this plan more and more.

"Meow." _I like it._ Alexis was in.

They packed it all up and went back up to the road with Kate using the binoculars. They hadn't gotten very far. "Babe is all of that…?" She was pointing. "A poppy field? Yes it is, and it's a big one too." It was on the left side of the road, right up next to it in fact. "We've arrived early since harvesting isn't for another 4 or 5 months. The opium they're after is actually in the skin of the large bulb. You cut it and it bleeds and collect it to turn into a drug. Inside that bulb are the seeds," he pointed out, showing just how much work went into it.

They continued down the road and found that the poppy field on the left side of the road really was pretty big. "They don't actually ever remove the plant do they?" she asked. "Not unless the plant is dead. You keep cutting the bulb over and over again. Come on, I'll show you something," Rick offered. He walked out into the poppy field a little and stopped when he found what he was looking for. "See all the black on the leaves below the bulb. That blackness is where the white colored opium has drained but not been captured."

"Bulb after bulb." Kate looked out into the field. "This is a lot of work." She couldn't begin to count the number of plants that were in this field. "This isn't enough is it?"

"This field likely wouldn't fill one of the pallets you found in that container. Let alone all three containers," he confirmed. Kate suddenly realized the scope of this was really, really huge. "Look for another field?" she questioned, getting him to nod his head. "We can teleport into the village before the sun comes up and do some looking around and then maybe north to the next village."

Rick got them back out onto the road, such as it was. "Anything?" he asked as she kept looking, using the binoculars. She put the binoculars down. "This place is dead. That one truck was as lively as it gets." She didn't know if that was a good thing or not. "Tomorrow will be more exciting." He smiled at her and continued walking.

They ran out of road since it teed there, however he saw the trees in the distance. "Is that your ditch?" He pointed across the field in front of them. "Yep that's the place."

"We can set up camp and gather firewood before looking around some more while the sun is still up," he said and started out across the field in front of them.

It turned out to be a ditch alright, if a 3 foot depression could be called a ditch. "It looks like it's been dry for a while now. Let's hope there isn't a flash flood." He worked his way down into the ditch and started looking for a good spot for the tent. An hour later they had the tent set up, a dry moat around it, sleeping bags unrolled, and their packs inside it.

"Firewood?" she asked. "Firewood." he replied.

"Keep a look out please, Alexis?" Rick asked and watched her work her way back to the top of the ditch. Kate, however, was looking at him questioningly.

"The tent is up, sleeping bags are rolled out and you're wearing far too many clothes. Consider this a trial run for sex in public for when we do it in Central Park," Rick said suggestively as he pulled Kate's top over her head. Clothes got thrown into the tent as they continued to kiss while standing naked in their ditch in the poppy fields of Turkey.

XXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxXxXx

Kate was lying on top of Rick after have her third mind blowing orgasm of the evening. "Sex in Central Park? Really?" she questioned as she kissed Rick's bare chest. "I have a plan, trust me. And in broad daylight no less," he confirmed. She lifted her head to look at him, but couldn't see anything that suggested he was joking. Kate put her head back down on Rick's chest and wondered just what he had in mind, because she was in for sex in a very public space, so very in.

"Babe may I ask a question?" she asked softly while kissing his bare chest. "Must be important if you think you need to ask for permission, not that you need my permission for anything," he said.

"Boy or a girl?" Kate asked. Rick opened his eyes wide. It wasn't a question he was anticipating. "I…boy I suppose, maybe. No real reason though. If you're asking, I suppose you have a preference." He rubbed his hand over her bare back.

"I don't even know if I'm pregnant yet. But I was thinking I'd like to give you your little girl back to you. I know you have Alexis, but it's not the same. But I would enjoy a boy too." Kate told him. "One of each then?" Rick suggested. Kate was silent as she thought about it.

"Mom told me she had 2 miscarriages before me. They were afraid they would lose me too," she told him. "That isn't going to happen to you, Kate. It literally isn't possible, unless you have a major injury to your abdominal region that B5 can't repair in time," he said reassuringly.

"A boy and a girl would be nice I guess. I'm still not sure I'm ready for the first one. We haven't even gone on our honeymoon." She raised up to look at him. "We are going on a honeymoon, aren't we?"

"I already have the place and I've sent in a request for availability and transportation. Even I've never been there before so it's going to be a surprise for us," he said. Kate smiled. "Where are we going?" She was dying to know, only to watch Rick shake his head. "Oh no, it's a surprise, but I think you'll like it. We need to solve this mission first." There was just the one major complication.

"Are we taking Alexis with us?" She didn't want to leave her behind, besides who would feed her? "Of course! This trip should be amazing and will blow your mind!" Rick was really hoping Kate would like it.

"I love you." She moved up his body closer and stretched out to kiss him.


	38. Chapter 38

**CH38**

Alexis was still keeping watch as Rick and Kate took a nap after their evening exercises. She had heard all of it and while a part of her was "Ew-ing" over all the noise, a larger part of her was more than happy. She may be a cat now, but she also had a daddy and a mommy who both loved her a lot. AND she was praying that Kate was indeed pregnant. Alexis would guard the baby with her life.

Sudden movement caught Alexis's attention, however it was behind her and came from the tent as first Rick and then Kate emerged. It was really late and it was dark outside. They both had flashlights and were shining them on the ground. "Alexis?" Rick called.

"MEOW!" _All clear!_

Alexis watched them both come to her. "We're going on a midnight search. As soon as we arrive I want you to switch to tiger form. I don't want you getting hurt before you can change," he told her.

"Meow." _I'll be a good girl._

"I doubt what we are looking for is in the middle of the village or up against the lake to the north. If I remember correctly, there are two possible locations. One is outside of town to the east while the other is at the southern tip of the village. Both are close to a road. Any preference?" Rick looked at Kate. He had one but wanted to see what she was thinking. "Let's start with the location east of the village. We can move on if we don't find anything," she suggested as he nodded, since that was also his choice.

He picked up Alexis and Kate took hold of his arm. Rick pressed the gem in his hand and they disappeared in a swirl of clouds only to show up just off of the road close to the most eastern building. There was a small line of trees with a dirt road or driveway on the south side. They walked to the end of the trees and looked down the road. It looked like three long storage buildings on the north side of the driveway, end to end. "I like it," she said, giving her opinion of it being a place to make heroin.

He put Alexis down and they watched her change into a Bengal tiger in just seconds. "Do _ **not**_ go inside any of the buildings Alexis. Leave what's inside to us," he told her.

"Growl." _Got it Dad._

Rick and Kate kept their flashlights pointed down on the driveway as they made their way in while Alexis trotted far out in front of them. They reached the end of the first building and looked out into the courtyard that was the three large storage buildings." I think I can make out two more storage buildings to the west and what is probably a house to the south," she remarked. The house was hard to see because it was dark and there was a small grove of trees. The word storage building may be being generous in the description since they all looked more like a simple long ranch house than a farm storage building.

He patted her to get her attention and pointed. He had spotted a large, empty, flatbed truck, much like the hunk of junk they had spotted previously. Rick motioned for Kate to take the north side of the storage building while he walked the south facing the courtyard. Neither knew just where Alexis was.

They both noticed that the windows were blacked out and all of the doors were locked. They met up on the other end of the first storage building where there was a gap between it and the second. "There's one large double door on my side that's locked with a chain and padlock," he said. "I had two one person doors with one near each end," she mentioned and guided him around the corner. He watched as she unlocked the door.

Using their flashlights to scan the area, secure that the windows were blacked out, but not trusting to turn the interior lights on. "Looks like a packing location," he commented as they found the finished product already on pallets, some already wrapped up for transport with others that were just started. Kate took a look at the pallets noting that a number of them had carton after carton of plastic wrap with which to bundle wrap the bags of heroin onto a pallet.

Meanwhile Rick went over to one of the bags filled with heroin, took a knife a worker had been so kind to leave lying around, and cut one open. He used the knife to take some of the powder out with and dumped it into one of his own mini sealable plastic bags. "Please tell me you're not hooked on this crap," she said as she watched him seal the tiny bag. "Hardly. I'm going to put this on B5's panel and see if we're in the right place. Be right back." He vanished in a swirl of clouds.

There wasn't enough there to load onto a flatbed. Likely a few more days or weeks would be required before the next transport. Kate was starting to wonder where Alexis was so she went out the door they came in and around to the courtyard with her flashlight turned off to look for her. But she saw and heard nothing. The light from Rick's flashlight alerted her that he was back. He turned off his flashlight and stood next to her. "We're in the right place for what Coonan had in his storage area, which happens to be a match for what you found in your container," he told her.

"This place doesn't seem big enough to fill three containers, and if you are shipping whole containers why settle for the small amount Coonan was smuggling? Jewel cases just don't hold that much." She was perplexed.

"We haven't found our button pusher yet either, nor how the drugs are going to be distributed. We're still missing a few people," Rick pointed out. "Have you seen Alexis?" Kate shook her head. "Alexis can take care of herself. The next building?" he suggested as they walked between the two and stuck to the backside of the building away from the house for now.

It didn't take long to find that all of the widows had been sealed closed and the back wall only had just the one door. "Locked naturally," she said and went to work on the lock. She pulled but the door didn't open. "What, is it nailed shut or something?" she grumbled and turned on her flashlight to look closer. "Why is it nailed closed?" She had no trouble finding the nails and started cutting them, then pulled the door open.

Just inside the door was a sheet of plastic. "What have they got in here?" She lifted a finger getting ready to cut the plastic open only to have Rick grab her hand. "If this is the building in which they are processing the opium into heroin, this place is going to be caked in opium dust at the very least," he cautioned. "Think about how long they've been doing this." Kate didn't feel like being hooked on opium or heroin today so she closed the door and re-locked it.

"Front door?" she suggested, not pleased since it was probably on the other side of the building facing the open courtyard. It didn't take long to reach the other side and after waiting to see if they could see anyone, they walked to the only door they saw. "Locked," he moaned. "Doesn't anyone trust anybody these days?" He had it unlocked and open in seconds.

Just inside was an airlock-type room. There were cabinets on one side filled with bags that had hooded suits and booties inside them while the opposite wall had reusable plastic respirator masks hanging there. "Looks like they suit up before entering," he commented and took down an x-large for himself and a large for Kate. She bundled up her hair and pulled the hood over her head after putting her booties on. "Why does this make me feel like I'm an astronaut getting ready for a spacewalk?" she asked, only to have Rick hand her a respirator mask to complete the ensemble. The blasted thing actually restricted her ability to breathe and forced her to really work at it.

They both turned on their flashlights not trusting that no one would see them turn the lights on. "Propane tank inside the building. That certainly sounds safe," he said sarcastically when his light showed it. "It keeps it off satellite images," she countered, getting him to grudgingly agree. "There are containers of raw opium, equipment needed to turn it into a powder and a way to put it into bags that are sealed to be taken next door." Rick worked his way down the processing aisle. "You can destroy a lot of lives with what's in this building," Kate remarked.

"Can we burn it down now?" She really liked the idea of it being gone. "After we find their books. How much they're paying the locals. How much they're earning. Where's all the money for that? Who's in charge of this place? Where's it all going? We get that and we can burn this place to the ground. It means putting all the locals out of work though," he pointed out. She felt bad about that. They were just doing what they could to make money and support their families. It probably paid better than working in an apple orchard, plus it meant year round paychecks, not just seasonal work. It was just all those people who were hooked on this stuff. Kate placed a hand on her stomach. She was maybe almost a mother and already knew what it was like to be pumped full of drugs.

"The next building or the house you think?" she queried, eager to leave this building already. "The next storage building is likely another one of these; I vote for the house to find the books," he said and they headed back to the airlock to get out of their monkey suits. Being back outside allowed them to take in deep breaths of clean air. "I'm so glad I don't work in there," she declared just as a dog started barking. "OH SHIT!" Rick ran across the courtyard for the small grove of trees that was likely hiding a house with Kate right behind him. The dog only barked 4 times and was never heard from again.

He moved through the trees and found a grass clearing on the other side. The problem was that it was even darker because of the trees, forcing him to turn on his flashlight and follow the natural bend of the trees around the grassy area. It soon became clear that there was a house and since there were children's toys out in the grass, it also told them something else.

Rick almost stumbled on Alexis as she was laying down licking her paws. "Alexis!" He was down on the ground with Alexis instantly with Kate on the other side. "Are you alright?" He looked her over in the darkness.

"Growl." _I'm fine Dad, it was just a dog._

He knew Alexis could handle herself. Kate, after having seen the children's toys, was a little more concerned that Alexis had just killed someone's pet. The child or children were going to learn what it meant to lose someone they loved. "The house obviously has at least one kid. Now what?" she asked. "If we tag all of them while they are still sleeping we can search the house quickly," he said and assumed she would agree. "Back to being a cat Alexis." He waited for her to change before picking her up. "We skip the locks and just teleport from room to room," he advised.

He put Alexis down once they were inside. It was ridiculously easy to teleport silently from room to room and point a finger. "They have a little girl, babe. She looks to be about 5 or 6 years old," Kate pointed out. The news had Rick hanging his head. Alexis had, in all likelihood, killed someone's pet. "Take Alexis downstairs with you and start searching including the basement," he instructed. "And where will you be?" It sounded like she was going to be doing all the searching. "I have a task to perform. Give me about 30 minutes and I'll be back to help you."

He disappeared in a twist of clouds only to end up next to a heavily damaged dog. "I'm so sorry puppy." He kneeled down and touched as much of the dog as he could and they both vanished.

It wasn't that big of a house. A living room, kitchen with an eat-in dining area and a table for four, along with a single restroom. Nothing was fancy like Kate was now used to. In fact everything was kind of rustic looking, practically handmade. They had food, electricity, and running water. The little girl even had some of her toys in the living room. "Likely bought using drug money." Kate felt bad about taking the income away from them. Still they would probably find another buyer after this. A door lead to the basement where it appeared the mother did a lot of canning. There was jar after jar down there, all labeled in Turkish. They were ready for hard times. She scanned everything with her finger and headed back upstairs just as Rick was coming down the stairs. "It's a house with a family, nothing more," she told him.

"Let's head back to our tent site," he said as she picked up Alexis. In a heartbeat they were back at the tent. "Just before sunrise we'll move to the closer tree line so we can keep watch during the day," he stated, getting her to agree. Besides, they still had the other two storage buildings to check though they were probably filled with real farm equipment since they were presently surrounded by fields. They also needed to go to the other village that possibly had a warehouse-like building.

Kate was snuggled up next to Rick inside their combined sleeping bag, neither of them wearing a stitch. "Babe where did you go?" He was quiet for a moment. "I went outside and picked up the dead d… animal and took it to a pet cemetery. I gave it a name and arranged to have it buried. It was someone's pet and if we hadn't brought Alexis, the little girl would have gotten to keep it."

"That's sweet Rick, really." She kissed his chest and loved him a little bit more. "Then I went to a pet store and bought her a Golden Retriever puppy and left it in her room with the door closed so it couldn't escape. She deserves to have someone to love, especially after we destroy her parent's ability to make money," he added. Kate raised up on her arms so she could look down at Rick. "You bought her a puppy!?" She kissed him and put as much love as she could into the kiss for him and what he did.

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They both woke to the sound of the alarm from Rick's phone. Neither of them had any bars but that didn't stop their cell phones from being useful. "Ooh, too early," she groaned. "We need to pack up and move before the sun comes up. After that we can take turns going home to use the shower," he offered, which motivated her to get up since she had a goal to look forward to.

Packing went fast since they didn't have much out and then they teleported to the closer tree line that was part of the fish hook. "Back in a flash." She gave him a quick kiss and was gone in a cloudy swirl. Rick meanwhile found a bush and watered it before going back to their camp and waiting for Kate.

She was trying to take a really fast shower when her finger began pulsing like a heartbeat, telling her that B5 wanted to talk. She was only wrapped in a towel with another on her head. "What's up B5?"

"There is a delivery of 10 thirty pound bags of puppy food at the front door," B5 told her. "SERIOUSLY!?" She was going to kiss his face off for that. "There was also a woman who came to the door and stayed for close to an hour, pressing the doorbell and knocking constantly," B5 added and displayed a picture of her from the security camera. She was relatively tall, fair skinned, and had flaming red hair. She was dressed nicely and wore heels. "I think I've seen her somewhere before, I just can't..." Kate twisted her head like that would help. "Can you ID her?" she asked.

"Her name is Meredith Lee," B5 stated. "YOU ARE SHITTING ME! Alexis's birth mother was here?" Kate's mouth was hanging open. "Do you know where she went?"

"She called a taxi and went to a hotel downtown," B5 responded.

Kate knew what she wanted to do but they had a mission that took precedence. She also had a lot of dog food at the front door. First she had to get dry and get dressed.

She worked at getting all of the dog food past the front door and into the foyer, then picked up one of them and teleported back to their campsite where she dropped the bag of dog food and saw Rick's face as she teleported back home to pick up another one.

She finished moving all of them to their campsite then literally jumped into Rick's arms and kissed him. "I love you so much Mr. Castle." He had gotten the girl a puppy and a lot of puppy food. "Not Mr. Beckett?" he teased, watching her shake her head. "You've earned the name Castle this time babe. You're an amazing man." And Kate kissed him again.

"I haven't seen anyone moving yet, but it's early," he told her even though the sun was only just starting to think of coming up. "I'll be back in a few." He evanesced in a swirl of clouds.

Kate began praying that B5 would do as she asked and not inform Rick that Meredith had been at their front door. She wanted to handle it herself and not burden either of them. She would tell them eventually, but not today.

He was glad to be under the hot water spray of the shower. That was his kind of camping. He still had one thing to do after showering, getting dry, and getting dressed. He needed a lot of steaks to feed Alexis since she was going to be in tiger form for the rest of the day and mostly all night. He took 9 New York Strip steaks out of the refrigerator, put them in a large bag, and teleported to their campsite. "Anything?" he asked as he displayed his bounty to Alexis who quickly turned into a tiger and devoured her breakfast.

"Growl!" _Thanks Dad!_

Rick walked up next to Alexis. Kate, who had the binoculars out, was looking across the fields and two roads that separated them. "The little girl is out with her puppy along with what looks like her mother. She seems to be happy while the mother appears to be looking for their …animal." She just barely stopped herself from saying the dreaded word.

"We'll search the other storage building tonight and leave the puppy food in it just before we light their storage buildings with the heroin in them on fire and burn out their ability to make it, then move on to the next village." He explained his plan. It hopefully meant the parents wouldn't get rid of her new puppy because they couldn't afford to keep him. "You're still an amazing man, babe and I love you for it." She kissed him again.

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He was cooking breakfast on their little stove when Kate got his attention. "They're showing up for work," she said as she watched a line form at the airlock for both men and women to go inside. "Did her parents go inside?" he asked. "Just the father that I saw." Kate answered his question as she handed him the binoculars so he could look.

"Ooo this is interesting. A man just showed up in one of those ancient flatbed trucks and he's armed with an assault rifle," he told her. "He went into the packing building."

"So there is a supervisor of sorts here, maybe he has the books," she theorized, wishing they had a way to keep tabs on him all the time. They were going to need to follow him home today so they could get their hands on his books and maybe abandon him in a deserted place.


	39. Chapter 39

**CH39**

Kate was watching while Rick was cooking. "I have movement," she called out softly and had Rick next to her in a heartbeat. "Looks like they are all leaving the processing building," she told him. "Going home for lunch perhaps?" he wondered. "How about our guy?" he asked as she shook her head. "Nothing, though he may have slipped past me," she remarked since she's been watching everywhere, trying make sure someone didn't come their way. "Is his truck still there?" he inquired. She swung back that way to look. "Both of them are still there." Which told both of them that he was still there. "Wait, I got him coming out and walking. Looks like he is headed for the house to eat lunch," she said.

"DAMN!" Rick didn't like that news. Kate looked at him, questioning. "How do our little girl's parents explain how they have a new puppy but are missing one adult d…animal." He looked around and found Alexis not far away in her tiger form. "A puppy that they didn't get her." She'd better get to keep her puppy or Kate was going to be pissed. "How about our lunch?" she queried, changing the subject.

"Sandwiches are made and the soup is warming up. Give me 5 minutes and we can eat," he informed her. He kissed her cheek and headed for his little stove. She was soon sitting with him eating lunch. "I can go get Alexis's steaks if you want to trade me positions and watch?" she offered thinking that their refrigerator at home was probably empty of steaks. "Sure." He was willing to watch, besides he wanted to see where the guy with the assault rifle goes. "I need to go before it gets too late in the day, making it harder to find something open," she pointed out. Kate cleaned up their lunch as Rick watched. "I'll be back in a bit, try not to get bored." She kissed his check and disappeared.

"B5 activate." She showed up in the dining room in front of B5. "B5 operational."

"I need to know where Meredith went. What hotel did she go to?" Kate asked. "The Plaza, Fifth Avenue at Central Park South. I have her room number," B5 responded. The benefit of going to a 5 star hotel was that they were computerized.

Afternoon in Turkey meant the sun was just coming up in New York City. "Perfect, I'll be right back after getting steaks for Alexis," she told B5 and arrived inside of Meredith's room.

"WOW, certainly roughing it I see." Kate looked around. It wasn't a room that Rick would get them, but it certainly wasn't a simple 2 queen bedroom. Kate heard the shower turn off allowing her to know where Meredith was, so she just waited right outside of the bathroom door. It took a few minutes for Meredith to open the door and start to step out only to find herself somewhere else. "WHAT THE HELL! Who are you?" Meredith had no trouble seeing Kate standing next to her and letting go of her arm.

"Rick is my husband now and I protect what is mine. Enjoy your stay here bitch," Kate told her and stepped inside an abandoned building out of sight of Meredith and vanished in a swirl of clouds.

Meredith followed Kate into the crumbled building finding it filled with sand, just like what was outside. "HEY, what the hell is going on? Where the hell did you go? You have no right to leave me here," Meredith yelled, dressed in only a towel. She darted back outside to look for Kate and found her suitcase still open lying in the sand. "Come back here!" Meredith yelled into the sand. How did she get here in the first place?

 **Kolmanskop or Kolmanskuppe, Namibia**

Kate went shopping for steaks and found 9 New York Strip steaks along with a bundle of 24 bottles of water. She took her purchases outside found a quiet spot and teleported home where she left the steaks and teleported for the building where she had left Meredith. Kate was inside. She dropped the bottles on the sand and looked outside seeing Meredith putting on some clothes. "Enjoy your stay bitch," she called from the opening and then stepped to one side and teleported back home to pick up her steaks.

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"Lunch is served," she called, loud enough for Alexis to hear her and jog in her direction. "Enjoy Alexis." Kate gave her a quick pet and a hug and went over to join Rick. "Anything?"

"Not even back from lunch yet. We really need to find a way to follow this guy when he goes home. If he has the books we really need to see them," he pointed out and lifted the binoculars back up. "What's with the smile babe?" She could see a smile that threatened to break his face."The little girl is outside running around with her puppy," he replied. She ripped the binoculars out of his hands so she could see. She soon had a smile on her face too.

"Can we force him to walk home and give us a better chance at following him? Make him go slow?" she suggested as an option. "You have a plan oh devious one?" he asked looking over at her. "Well, if neither of the two flatbed trucks runs, he will be forced to walk, right?" she submitted. "If it's a flat tire, he'll just replace it. All four flat? He'll use the other truck. Same for ignition system and anything else. We would need to do it to both trucks. And we likely don't have time since we would be out in the open." He tried to think of something. "Actually I was thinking of pouring sugar into his gas tank. Both of them actually," she said smiling. "It wouldn't work immediately. He could still start the truck and drive away," Rick pointed out.

"Yes, but he wouldn't get far and it would get him to stop. He'd probably sit there trying to get it to start over and over again. Finally he'd give up and walk home, leaving us a chance to hear him trying to start his truck before walking away," she replied. "We just need some sugar," Rick points out. "Which we have at home," she said grinning and disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

"Alexis, you're not going with her this time. This is going to be a quick in and out," he informed her.

"Growl." _I don't like it._

"She will be fine, you need to trust her," he countered hoping her love of Kate would keep her here and away from the puppy.

"Growl." _I still don't like it._

She was soon back with a box of Pure Cane Sugar. "Any activity?" she inquired wanting to get it over with while she still had the nerve. "Nothing yet. …I take that back. I have a few villagers coming back from lunch." He had spotted a few of them. "Your trip is going to be delayed a little while."

Rick watched as they both waited and waited. "It's been quiet for an hour now. The little girl and her puppy are inside. All of the workers are inside and our guy is back in the warehouse-like building. I don't see anyone," he told her and nodded while he watched her vanish in a twist of clouds.

He watched her pour half the box into the gas tank of each flatbed truck and then immediately came back. "Now we wait," she said, pleased with her work.

They took turns monitoring the place though out the day. "Looks like they are stopping for the day," he called down to Kate who was napping next to Alexis. "Hhmm." She rolled over and started to get up. "About time."

"Okay so where is our guy?" She had been standing next to Rick for a while and wondered just where he was. It was starting to get dark and they might miss him leave. Especially if he didn't try to take one of the trucks. "Here he…comes?" Rick's tone of voice changed with the last word. "What babe?" she questioned. "He's not alone and his friend also has a weapon," he told her. "Where the hell did he come from?" Following one was enough of a risk as it was; following two made things so much more difficult. Rick only shook his head.

Kate didn't need to know where they went since she could hear them trying to start one of the trucks, finally getting it to start with some difficulty. "We need to get going if we're going to keep that truck in sight," he cautioned. "Stay here Alexis and don't leave this campsite." Rick pointed his finger at her. "The first fork in the road just inside the trees?" he suggested, getting Kate to nod and they were both gone in a swirl of clouds.

They didn't have long to wait as a truck with two armed men drove by taking the left fork in the road. "Straight into town, naturally," he moaned and dropped his head. They just had to make it difficult. "Triple fork, there should be a small grouping of trees?" she offered and they are both gone in a silent swirl of clouds. They watch them take the right fork straight into the center of town. "Okay, I officially hate these two now." Kate found herself on-board with Rick's thinking. "I'll take the left road out of town and you take the right. Whomever doesn't see them teleports to the other before we lose them," Kate proposed and watched Rick disappear followed by herself.

She smiled and waited for him to join her after the truck drove past her. "I suppose I owe you a dollar now?" He arrived since his road was empty of trucks. "I'll settle for a kiss babe." And she quickly kissed him. "Left out of town?" she questioned, getting Rick to nod his head and they were both gone. However they don't see their truck after a minute. "Where did those two go?" She knew there wasn't another road out of town. "There's that little road to the north that goes out to the lake," he said getting both of them to teleport to a grove of trees on the left.

What they found was the truck sitting in the middle of the small driveway-like road with the hood up while one man was under the hood while the other tried to start the truck. "I was wondering when the sugar trick would finally work," Rick mentioned. "Probably has something to do with the hunks of junk these two are driving," Kate grinned. Neither of them could figure out how either of the two trucks was still in one piece let alone hauling heavy loads.

The man under the hood slammed it closed as the other one got out. They started walking towards the lake. Rick pointed to the other side of the building they were just behind and watched them two enter a nice looking home at the end of the road.

"We teleport around the area before finding a place to wait. We need to get a feel for the location," he offered and watched Kate disappear. A few minutes later and they were back to where they started. "It's a 2 story house with a path through the trees that leads to the lake where there is a small boat," she said. "There's a small storage shed to the east and a larger single floor house just across the street from here. The building we are next to looks like another storage shed," he replied. "A door out front and one out back. The bedrooms are probably on the second floor," she remarked. "So we wait." He looked around for a good place to sit.

They were forced to teleport elsewhere when a man and a woman walked across to the storage shed they were next to. Now they were at the edge of the trees between the storage shed and the two guys' house. "They better not be in there cooking a nice hot dinner," Kate mentioned as she held a hand against her stomach. "Food cravings already?" Rick teased, getting her to smile wide but remain silent.

"How about half a cold sandwich and some water?" he offered an hour later waiting for the lights in the house to go out. "Make it a hot sandwich and you've got a customer," she countered. "Give me a few minutes." He kissed her cheek and was gone.

"GROWL!" _It's about time._

"Sorry Alexis but we found two guys to follow. Hopefully they will lead us to their books and give us a lead." He fired up the little camp stove and put the slices of beef he had in a skillet to warm them up while putting the rest of the sandwich together. With a sandwich cut in half in one hand and two bottles of water tucked into his arm, he bent down to pick up Alexis who was a tabby cat again and pressed the gem in his hand.

"ALEXIS!" Kate was happy to see her and took her out of Rick's arm. "Sandwich?" he offered and put the two bottles of water on the ground. "Thanks babe. Yum, hot roast beef sandwich with melted cheese. Add some onions and peppers next time and it'll be a philly cheese steak," she requested.

She took a final swallow of her bottle of water an hour after they watched the lights inside the house go out. "We teleport to just the other side of the back door and let Alexis look around first. Flashlight?" he questioned and watched her hold hers up for him to see. He teleported them just inside the door. He put Alexis down who promptly bounded away out of the kitchen that they were in.

"These two are pigs," she whispered disgustedly as she saw the sink filled to overflowing with dirty dishes, pots, and pans. There was even trash on the kitchen table along with left over lunch from days ago maybe. Rick checked the refrigerator and freezer while Kate opened kitchen cabinets. "Nothing special," she whispered. He shook his head as he closed the freezer while they walked into the next room after stopping to take a quick look at the bathroom that was on that floor. "Ew! GROSS!" She wrinkled her face after seeing the shower. The living room, however, produced two hand guns sitting on the coffee table. He picked them up and looked at Kate. "Be right back." And he disappeared in a swirl of clouds. "Alexis." Kate pointed up the stairs and watched her glide up the stairs completely silent.

"B5 activate." Rick appeared up in front of her. "B5 operational," she informed him. "Scan these weapons and see if they have been used in any operation and report their condition." He pressed the gem in his hand and disappeared.

He showed up finding Kate searching the depths of the sofa that was in the room. "I'm going to need a shower after this," she whispered as Rick began helping her search the ground floor. Having found nothing of interest she started for the stairs only to have him stop her and hold up his hand that had the gem in it. She got the hint and teleported to the top of the stairs where she found Alexis sitting in the middle of the hallway. He joined her and each took one of the three doors on that floor. He held up his finger as she did the same. They stepped into each bedroom and pointed at the sleeping form.

"Meow." _All clear._

"Let's take this place apart. I want those books or whatever else these two have," he said determinedly and went back into the bedroom. He even dumped his guy on the floor while flipping over the mattress.

"BABE!" Kate called loud enough for him to hear; he found her standing in the hallway with Alexis, holding open one of two large books with her flashlight lighting it up. He took a quick look. "That's what we want. Take them and Alexis to B5, I'll be right there. I need to take care of these two first." She kissed him, picked up Alexis, and they both disappeared.

Rick had a plan. He teleported to the airlock of the processing building and grabbed a bag along with a respirator then over to the packing area where he put on his outfit and picked up three full bags of powder. Then he teleported back to one of the two bedrooms. He cut one of the bags open and spread it all around the room including on the sleeping body. He repeated this in the other bedroom and again down in the living room. He teleported to the ditch where he took off his suit and dropped his respirator. "Home here we come." He pressed the gem in his hand and joined Kate in front of B5.

He found her at the stove warming up with a can of soup. "Add a grilled cheese sandwich and I'll join you," Rick said hungrily and watched her search the refrigerator for what she needed.

"B5, anything on those weapons?" he started off with. "Negative, they have not been involved in any known killings," B5 informed them. "That's something at least," he said and took them off the panel. He disassembled them and vanished with them in a swirl of clouds only to return seconds later. "We need to look at those two other buildings at the house with the little girl and move all of that food," he reminded Kate while she placed the first cheese sandwich in the skillet. "We need to come up with a plan on how to burn those two buildings down too," she added.

"Anything on those books?" He was dying to know. "One book keeps track of how much product is created and shipped out of the local area. It also indicates that the product is being divided up between three shipments. One listed as NY is getting roughly 1/8 of the product produced there. One quarter is listed as Senator…" Kate interrupted B5. "Senator! As in a United States Senator? Does it mention where it is being sent?" she demanded. "Negative, this book is simply a log of how much and how it was divided," B5 responded. "And the rest?" Rick asked, since that still left over half of it unaccounted for. "The rest is listed as being for Locksat," B5 finished.

"That's new. Now we have a US Senator to track down and someone called Locksat. And how do these two intersect with dirty cops, FBI agents, and DEA agents? B5 has the Coast Guard intercepted that cargo ship yet?" Kate questioned. "Negative. It is likely that the ship is still outside of the 12 mile limit," B5 replied. "If we can test what is in those containers, it might lead us to where it came from. That place can't even make enough to fill one container let alone three!" She was so frustrated.

"And the other book?" Rick redirected them back to the books. "The other book is a listing of everyone involved in the production of the product in this area. The name of each person, how often and how long each person works, along with how much each person is paid. Including any bonuses for increasing production," B5 answered. Does it also give addresses of those people?" he asked. "Affirmative," B5 responded.

"Sandwiches and soup are ready," Kate announced as she sets the bowls and plates on the counter with glasses of water. "Oh, I almost forgot you Alexis." She took out a can and opened it onto her crystal plate, sprinkled some dry food on top, and placed it on the island counter.

"What's next babe? Those two are going to be missed when they don't show up in the morning." She assumed Rick took them somewhere and left them like she did Meredith. "We still need to find that main warehouse in the next village or at the shipping port, or both," she added.

"If we burn the place to the ground it will likely alert the next village and we need to get there before word spreads of the loss of those two. Has anyone come to check on or replace the bug in the assistant director's office?" He changed the topic. "Negative. He also has not talked about not seeing Agent Sorenson," B5 replied.

"Montgomery is dirty and I suspect he called someone who called the assistant director who sent Sorenson to check on me. Just who did he contact if not the assistant director?" she questioned and took a bite of her sandwich. "The Senator or Locksat I'm guessing," he sighed.

"We're getting spread a little thin. We need to search the next village, the closest dock area near there. We need to find the warehouse Coonan was using. We need to keep an eye on your parents since someone knows your mother is now involved. Your ship with 2 containers on board. And we need to talk with the guy that was on those jewel cases filled with heroin." He hoped he didn't leave anything off the list. "Oh and burn all of it to the ground, including the warehouse."

She thought it over while eating her soup. "As much as I hate it, we need to split up. Let me search the next village and maybe the dock area. You take the guy whose picture is on those jewel cases and the warehouse if he knows where it is and likely does. We can leave Alexis with my parents. I just don't know how we're going to explain her turning into a tiger or what story we would use to leave her with them," Kate said. Alexis was an asset, at least to them she was.

Rick sighed heavily. "Fine. But we do this one at a time and decide what to do from there. I'll take the village and you can have the guy on the jewel cases, and before you go ballistic on me, the guy on the jewel cases may be more willing to spill his guts to you than to me," he explained. "Sounds sexist to me Rick," she pointed out not liking being given a task because she's a woman. "All's fair in love and war, sugar plum…baby cakes? Smoochie face?" He stopped talking when Kate hit his face with a spoon full of her soup.

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I looked it up because i was curious. NBC will cancel a show if ratings dip down to 1.3 or lower. The same applies for CBS and FOX. ABC however is more critical, they will cancel a show at 1.5 or below.

Castle is presently holding at 1.1 and 1.0. The million dollar question? Does ABC let the show play out and then cancel or do they cancel it at mid-season? Like during the winter hiatus they are going to throw at us.

I've already assured my beta reader that i will write a story based off of her most favorite topic and likely the one i have planned after that. After that story, I guess that is up to the two idiot show runners and the powers that be at ABC, who are to blame for this since they hired these two idiots.


	40. Chapter 40

**CH40**

Kate was standing in front of B5 with Rick having already left for the next village in Turkey. It was just getting dark there so everyone should be home working on making dinner or eating it, leaving him free to search the area without much trouble.

"Are my parents home?" she asked. "I do not have eyes on your parents, however the tag Richard placed on their car shows it sitting outside of the 12th precinct. It is likely that your mother is picking up the information requested in her court order," B5 informed her. She hung her head. "Why am I not surprised that Coonan and his goon wouldn't scare her off from her case?"

She waited until their car was moving again and almost home when she picked up Alexis and teleported to their front door and waited for them. "Katie? What are you doing here?" Johanna was surprised to see her.

"Can we go inside first?" Kate wanted to see inside before leaving them. "Sure." Johanna unlocked the door. Jim was the last one in, not locking the door behind him. "I have to get to work so I'll let you two talk." He grabbed his bag, kissed his wife, kissed Katie on the cheek, and left them, locking the door behind him.

"What's up?" Johanna wanted to get to the point so she could start reading. "Rick and I have a lot to do today and we were hoping that you could watch Alexis for us, please. I brought a can of her food and some of her dry food with me. She's already done her thing so should be good for when we come get her." Kate had actually forgotten about her kitty litter box and was hoping Alexis could hold it.

Her request forced Johanna to think about it. She had the day off and was only going to spend it reading the files she had just picked up, and she did have a lot of questions about their cat. "Sure. What are you and Rick up to?"

"Thanks Mom." Kate put the bag of cat food on the coffee table and placed Alexis on the floor. "Protect them, no matter what it takes," she whispered to Alexis then stood up to hug Johanna.

"Meow." _Count on it._

"I have to go, thanks again Mom." Kate wasted no time in leaving to avoid her mother's questions.

Johanna placed her papers on the dining room table and picked up Alexis to look her in the eye. "So it's just you and me huh? I have a lot of questions for you and I expect answers. …And I'm talking to a cat." Jo sighed. She was starting to think that she'd lost it and put Alexis on the floor.

"Meow." _You'll get used to it._

Johanna sat down at the dining room table and started sorting the papers she had gotten. Alexis jumped up on a chair, then onto the table, and laid down in front of her at the edge of her papers. "I don't suppose you can read too?" Johanna asked her.

"Meow." _You'd be surprised what I can do._

"So you don't like…" Johanna suddenly turned coward and chose to not say the word "dog."

"Meow?" _I don't like what?_

She had seen this cat interact with Katie and Rick often enough to guess what that meow meant. "Yeah, I'm not falling for that. I have work to do and a trip to the emergency room would only slow me down." Johanna began reading.

"Meow." _I would never hurt you_ _G_ _rams._

Maybe it was how Alexis said it, but it earned her a quick pet before Johanna got busy reading and making notes in her secret scribble that only she could read.

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It took Kate no time at all to find and break Johnny Vong who quickly dropped his accent when he realized he was in trouble. Coonan had found him and had given him an offer he couldn't refuse...his continued good health or else. He also had an address for the warehouse where his DVDs were stored. As ordered, they were divided into two groups with Coonan's portion taking up 7/8ths of the warehouse.

Vong got a cut equal to the net profit of his real DVD for each sale including the ones that held heroin. Kate had told him to stay and not even think about leaving the house. Starve to death if he had to.

Still, it left her wondering what to do next. It did, however, give Kate a moment to remember something and she picked up the phone. "Hi Maddie, am I interrupting anything?" she questioned since the tone of Madison's voice was different.

"No, nothing at all. I'm just sleeping in while I can. I was up…" She could hear Madison suddenly suck in a breath and try to suppress a moan. "...late last night." She was sure she heard a slap. "I wanted to invite you and Kyle over for dinner tomorrow so we can put the wedding video up on the big screen in the movie room and let you look at the pictures," she told her. "That would be great Becks!" Suddenly the sound from Madison's end changed and she could swear she heard a muffled "Stop it" on Madison's end. Suddenly Kate was smiling widely.

"We expect you to bring enough of that strawberry shortcake desert for everyone. Rick is going to do the cooking." Not that he knew that yet. "And we'll supply the wine." Kate heard a moan after that comment. "I'm glad to know you like wine Maddie. I'll make sure your glass is always full." She decided to have some fun with her. "What!? …Oh yes I do. Listen I have to come Becks. I mean go," Madison corrected herself. "Have fun enjoying your morning with Kyle, Maddie." Kate grinned. She was sure she heard a muffled Madison say, "I'm going to kill you Kyle." She was still laughing after she hung up the phone, pleased to have some ammunition to use when Madison and Kyle came over for dinner.

"Show me this warehouse B5." She wanted to see it before she went there tonight after it got dark and she retrieved Alexis from her parents. The satellite picture that B5 put up had Kate worried. It was bigger than she anticipated. "Who owns the warehouse and talk to me a little about this area. Why did they choose this warehouse?" she asked B5.

"The warehouse is located in the Washington Heights area of New York. The location itself is reported to be run by a Vulcan Simmons. The police reports that you scanned show that he runs the drug trade from that area and has for the last 12 years. Early in Simmons career he was arrested for small time things, however he has not been arrested for anything in the last 11 plus years," B5 informed her.

"Let me guess, Washington Heights is in the 12th precinct's jurisdiction." Kate just knew what B5 was going to say since it meant Captain Montgomery was seriously dirty. "Correct," B5 responded.

She sighed. "Maybe it's time to turn up the heat on one Roy Montgomery. I need that FBI ID again and the address to his home. Walk me through his family." She was thinking of making a house call while Roy was at work.

Roy married Evelyn in 1981. They have two daughters Rebecca and Mary. Rebecca was the older of the two. Kate had his residential address and was surprised that it wasn't in a more prestigious area of Manhattan. Surely he was getting a piece of this pie?

"B5, start hacking offshore bank accounts looking for accounts associated with anyone on our list. Maybe you'll find something on our US Senator or this Locksat person. Oh, and work up a history on Vulcan Simmons, we may need to talk with him too," she added as she picked up her FBI ID and went to their bedroom to find something agent-appropriate to wear.

"I never really thought of using my one and only tie like this. I bought it just for the fun of it. Hopefully Evelyn or the kids aren't observant enough to notice I'm not carrying a weapon." Kate put on her "Power Boots" as she thought of them. They looked impressive and the stacked heels added height.

She made sure she had everything, pressed the gem in her hand, and appeared near the house of Captain Montgomery. She walked down the street til she found the correct address, went up to the door, and pressed the doorbell.

"Hi." A young teenager answered the door. Kate pulled out her ID. "Hi, I'm Katherine Beckett with the FBI. Is your mother home?"

"MOM, IT'S THE FBI!" Rebecca turned her head and yelled. Evelyn soon showed up and shooed Rebecca into the kitchen to finish her breakfast before her class.

"FBI? My husband is at work." Evelyn assumed she wanted her husband. She kind of did, but wanted to turn up the heat using his family. "I'm actually here to talk to you if you have a few minutes," Kate explained. Evelyn thought about it. "Sure I can spare a few minutes." She stepped back and allowed her inside.

The home's interior was nice. Maybe not as nice as Kate's house, but it reminded her to ask B5 how much a captain of a precinct made each year. "Thank you." She went inside and just stood there. "I wanted to ask you about what you knew about your husband's time with the NYPD in his early years," she began. "Shouldn't you be asking my husband that question?" Evelyn asked. "I have actually; I want to hear it from you." Kate told a white lie. She had read what she needed from B5 who got it from all the files she had scanned, not from actually talking to him.

"Well, Roy was just a rookie still when I met him. He was such a young and handsome man. He wouldn't leave me alone. He kept calling and sending me little things to get my attention. He drove my parents nuts. I think it was the first time he got up the nerve to kiss me that sold me. Roy doesn't really bring home his work that I've noticed. It's one of the things I like about him. He has a tough job dealing with the people that he does, but he doesn't bring it home with him," Evelyn told her.

"Do you know any of his past or present co-workers?" Kate asked.

"He only occasionally mentions the lead of robbery or homicide. I think I've met a few of them at the precinct's Christmas Party or an NYPD fund raiser. We've never had any of them over to the house." Evelyn didn't really remember any of them.

"Thank you for your time Mrs. Montgomery. I won't keep you any longer. I'm sure you have plans." Kate gave her goodbyes and headed for the door.

"Is Roy in trouble?" Evelyn didn't remember ever having an FBI agent coming to their house, at least not while she was home.

"I'm sure it's nothing Mrs. Montgomery," Kate told her. She let herself out, walked down the street, then teleported to a place where she could watch the house for a little while.

"Is Dad in trouble Mom?" Their oldest came out of the kitchen. "It's nothing, now finish so we can go," Evelyn told her. "Why was the FBI here again?" Rebecca didn't leave and countered with a question. Evelyn turned her head to look at her daughter. "The FBI has been here before?" That was news to her. "Yeah, he was really scary looking. He kept poking Dad in the chest while he talked to him."

Evelyn thought about the news. "Go finish and tell your sister to hurry, we have to go. NOW Rebecca." Evelyn wanted her moving.

Kate watched them exit the house, get into the car, and drive away. She concluded that they really did have some place to go so she teleported home.

She wasn't sure what to do next. "B5 activate." She stepped into the dining room. "B5 active."

"Has the Coast Guard intercepted that container ship yet?" she inquired. "Affirmative, the CGC Drummond out of Miami Beach and the CGC Knight Island out of Key West have intercepted the cargo ship inside the 12 mile line. There are also 2 MH-65D Dolphins on station," B5 informed her. "What are their chances of finding something?" Kate was worried about that. That ship had over 1,000 containers on board stacked up one on top of another.

"At sea, almost none. If they force it into port and quarantine it, they will likely send dogs and perhaps an x-ray machine on-board to search it by moving containers around. However the Admiral will most likely call the Attorney General to either verify the order or inform her what he has found based on the paperwork ordering the ship to be stopped," B5 cautioned.

"Paperwork that doesn't exist anymore," she moaned since it was probably tiny balls of white by now. The Attorney General will know nothing about it and if they used her name, she will not know of anyone in her agency named Katherine Beckett. "We're not going to get those containers are we?" Kate moaned again in frustration and sat down.

"What is Rick planning for our honeymoon?" She changed the subject. "Request for access denied," B5 responded. "So you do know. You are hereby ordered to inform me what Rick is planning," Kate told B5, wondering if she should be doing this. "Access denied," B5 responded, shocking her as her mouth dropped open. Rick had made plans, B5 knew about them, and Rick had somehow gotten B5 to ignore her requests.

"Fine B5 but I'm going to remember this in the future." She was actually happy that it was still a surprise. It was just that she also wanted to know, it was her honeymoon too after all.

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It was 6 hours later and Kate was down in the pool messing around naked. No Alexis and no Rick. She hated it! She had her arms on the edge of the deep end of the pool with her head resting on her arms. "Suck it up Katie, you're a big girl. You can handle a few hours alone without your family. …My family. I have a family!" She lifted herself up out of the pool and grabbed a towel. She watched a pair of DRDs enter the downstairs bathroom and start cleaning everything. "I love you guys." Kate saw them glide around everywhere and watched as tools popped out to clean faucets, shower heads, even door knobs.

Kate teleported to B5 dressed in only her towel. "B5 activate." She had a question. "B5 operational."

"How many of these DRDs are there in this house and what happens when one of them is down or destroyed?" She had an idea. "There are 2 DRDs for every room in the house not including closets. The garage, entrance foyer, and elevator are considered one room," B5 explained. "If one of the DRDs is damaged it is repaired; if one is destroyed it is replaced by construction of another one."

"And you have control over all of them?" Kate tried to clarify. "Correct," B5 responded. "If the DRDs are somewhere else can you control them there as well?" She needed to know. "Yes," B5 replied.

"YES!" Kate pumped her fist. "How many can you control and can you manufacture more than the number this house has?"

"Two per room with no limitation, however there is no reason to manufacture more than the number this house has already," B5 pointed out. "Not yet there isn't." Kate smiled and ran to their bedroom to put on one of Rick's dress shirts that she had stolen and nothing else as she waited for him in the living room.

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Kate's finger started pulsing which got her up off the sofa and jogging into the dining room where she found B5 already active. She had long ago changed into some casual clothes in case Rick needed her help. "The assistant director of the New York field office for the FBI has a visitor," B5 informed her as she sat down.

"There's been a problem. A cargo container ship has been intercepted by the Coast Guard and the container here in New York has been found out. It's taken a lot to get the container here released and the Coast Guard off of the container ship."

"You have failed in your job and your services are no longer required. You have exactly …zero seconds to put your life in order." They both heard the sound of shots fired from a silenced weapon.

"B5, was that what I think it was?" Kate asked softly. However before B5 said anything, they both could hear him talking again. "It's done sir. I will order a cleaning crew to be brought in. I'm now going to check the device that was left behind and find out why it's no longer functioning."

"No sir, I have not seen Agent Sorenson. I'll have a team find him and take care of it."

"Yes sir, I understand. I'll have a team on stand-by when you obtain her location. We'll take care of it." Then they heard him opening the window and suddenly everything was silent.

"The device has been neutralized," B5 informed Kate now that she was no longer receiving a signal.

"He killed the lead agent of the entire New York field office." Kate was still trying to wrap her mind around that.

"Wait!" Kate pressed the gem in her hand and vanished in a swirl of clouds. She watched him stand up from retrieving the device under the chair and quickly pull his weapon back out, however she was faster. He started smiling and lowered his weapon.

She took his weapon and field stripped it, then took hold of his arm and they disappeared in a twist of clouds. "Just sit down right here and take a nice nap. You've had a busy day and are really tired." Kate helped him sit down.

"Stay right here and don't move," she commanded needlessly and disappeared only to come right back with the dead assistant director of the FBI field office for New York.

"Now we need to strip you two." She began undressing the hired killer first. Kate turned her head. "I'm not looking babe, I swear."

All she found was his wallet and a cell phone which she instantly took back to B5 and placed them on the scanner then disappeared again.

"Your turn." She got to work on stripping the dead body. "Still not looking babe." She closed her eyes and pulled. She found his wallet that she immediately took to B5 and placed it on the scanner with the other items and disappeared again. This time she gathered up all of their clothes and vanished again only to return a moment later.

"Now, what do I do with you besides leave you here?" Kate tried to come up with a plan. "As much as Meredith deserves being raped for a change since I hate her guts so much…but Rick might be right. She might enjoy it, not that she deserves it."

She kneeled down next to him and got him on his back. With her eyes closed she reached, searching for his left knee. "I'm not paying attention babe, I promise." She kept her hand wrapped around his knee and had her fingers set up a vibration that turned his knee bones into tiny little pieces, making sure that he would never walk with that leg again. It left his left leg little more than a flimsy piece of rubber, or in that case, loose skin.

"Have a nice stay with your new girlfriend. I'm sure she'll love you." Kate disappeared in a swirl of clouds.


	41. Chapter 41

**CH41**

Rick teleported home only to find Kate sitting at the dining room table with a half empty bottle of wine and an almost empty glass in her hand. He watched as she finished her glass then set it on the table. He pulled out a chair and sat down. "Kate?" He reached out to touch her when she didn't respond. "What happened? What did the guy on the DVD do?" The last Rick knew that was where she was going.

"They killed him babe. He just walked in and killed him and they're after me," she said in a monotone and refilled her glass.

"B5?" Maybe B5 would be more forth coming with answers. "A man named Peter Furedi entered the office of the assistant director of the FBI's New York field office and killed him. He then had a phone call with someone who was unidentified. He confirmed that the New York container was being rescued and the two on the ship that Kate had the Coast Guard stop had been released. He was also going to assemble a team to have Katherine killed as soon as he was provided with her location. In addition he removed the existing bug that was in the office."

"Kate teleported to the office and subdued Peter and took him to an abandoned location. His wallet and his phone are on my panel," B5 replied succinctly.

"Analysis of the phone in question?" Rick asked while still looking at Kate who looked to be in a little bit of shock. "It is a burner phone that has made and received calls from another burner cell phone," B5 informed him.

"Kate?" Rick took hold of her hand; it was cold. "How long has she been like this?" he asked, very concerned. "Several minutes after leaving Peter in his new location," B5 told him.

He decided on a course of action and leaned in close to kiss Kate soundly, finally getting her to kiss him back. He broke from the kiss only to kiss her quickly once again. "Better?" He smiled at her. Kate lifted up a hand, cupped his face, and smiled. "Better," she admitted.

"B5 told me what you did. That took guts, teleporting in where a cold blooded killer had just killed someone. Is he still alive?" Rick was pretty sure Kate wouldn't kill him but something may have happened that B5 didn't know about.

"I stripped him and turned his knee into Silly Putty. …I didn't look at his stuff, I promise." she said. Rick chuckled loudly. "We need to try and figure out who he was talking to." he remarked. "We have his phone right? So maybe we can use that somehow…B5 if we make a call using his phone can you trace it to the other phone's location?" he asked.

"It will only take seconds to find out which cell tower the other phone is pinging off of. The longer he leaves the phone active, the closer I can narrow it down to an exact location," B5 offered.

Rick was pleased about that. Now he just needed to figure out what to do. "He might be recording the calls he receives to study later. If one of us says something, he might be able to figure out who that person is." Rick was very concerned about that. "He already wants me dead. We could use my voice," Kate suggested.

"We're going to have to do something about that too. We need him to stay online as long as possible. Maybe we can scare him at the same time." He had an idea. "We use the phone to make a call. When he answers B5 will send him one of those annoying fax sounds. It lasts for just a few seconds and then we can get you to say something. Think you're up for this?" he asked since he was afraid they had a short window to try it.

Kate wasn't sure what to say but nodded her head. "Where's Alexis?" Rick looked around and didn't see her in the room which was strange. Alexis almost never let Kate out of her sight. "I left her with my mother."

Rick's eyes widened, wondering what those two were saying to each other, not for a moment believing that Johanna would understand what Alexis was saying.

"Ready?" he asked her and saw her. "Don't give him your name, let him or her work it out for themselves the hard way. What they don't know will only concern them even more," he offered. "B5 activate the cell phone and call the number listed. As soon as the call is answered send a fax sound and wait till I signal then let Kate say something. We want his location as close as we can get it," Rick said.

"Okay?" He looked at Kate as she nodded. He signaled B5 to make the call. It only took two rings for someone to answer. "Yes?" B5 sent a fax sound to keep him guessing. B5 had the map of the planet up on her screen and switched to the United States quickly. Soon she was on the east coast. Rick held up his hand holding up a finger while they both watched the map. "Is that DC?" Kate asked as B5 zoomed in even more. Rick pointed his finger and B5 ended the fax noise and sent what words Kate would say.

"Confirm message sent has been received," Kate said to the person on the other phone.

B5 kept moving the zoom only it went a little to the northwest of DC.

"Call has been terminated by the person on the other side, however his phone is still on," B5 informed them and kept zooming in on the map. "Connection has been broken," B5 stated and stopped where she had last zoomed to.

"Where is that babe?" She looked at the map. "Zoom out a little B5," Kate said. "That's DC alright and that's Arlington not too far away. But the location was northwest next to the river," Kate remarked. "Zoom back in B5. Zoom in closer and extrapolate the most likely location of the call," Kate asked B5. Her eyes went wide as her mouth hung open. "Babe is that…?"

"It's CIA headquarters in Langley, Virgina." Rick was equally stunned.

"A CIA operative killed the assistant director of the FBI!? …Are they the ones that are shipping in the drugs? They freed up the container I found and got the Coast Guard to release the ship with the other two containers." Kate was in a daze. Going after a few corrupt cops, FBI men, a couple or more of DEA agents, and maybe a few dock workers was one thing, but this was the CIA.

"The CIA wants me dead?" Kate questioned, astounded.

"We just need to be more careful is all. Maybe you should go back out to Turkey instead of me while I remain local," he suggested.

"What happened in Turkey?" she asked. "Emyir was a bust. They don't even have a building as large as the one that was the production building or even the packaging building," Rick told her.

"But we saw a flatbed truck loaded with something headed that way," she insisted. "They must have gone right through it and headed on to another location. I'm wondering if they took it to a real warehouse in a larger city for transport to the coast on a long haul truck. Maybe Gümüşhacıköy. It's on the D100/E80 highway which makes finding this place that much harder," he said, aggravated at the failure.

"No place for us to hide." She got it. "And English isn't the primary language," Rick added.

"Okay. Johnny Vong is the man on the cover of the DVD and B5 has the address of the warehouse Coonan was using," Kate told him since he was taking over the local search.

"We'll be careful Kate, don't worry." He leaned in to give her a quick kiss. "You have me, Alexis, B5, and your training even if they do think you're unarmed." He arched his eyebrows a couple of times, which got the effect he was looking for when she smiled and lightly chuckled.

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Johanna was still sitting at the dining room table when the house phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi Jo, I'm going to be a little late so don't start dinner. I'll bring something home with me," Jim said. She, however, cursed internally. She had gotten so wrapped up in her paperwork she had forgotten to start dinner. "Sounds good, it'll give me more time to look over all my paperwork. How was work?" she asked.

"It was fine, I had to write up a paper and have it reviewed before we can use it. Nothing spectacular. Give me about an hour and I'll be home," he said and ended the call.

"You want your dinner now?" Jo looked at Alexis who was still lounging on the dining room table with all of her paperwork. She marveled at how calm the cat was. Alexis had barely moved in hours. Jo found the bag Katie had left her, popped open the can, emptied it onto a dish, sprinkled some dry on top, and placed it on the floor. "What!? It's the food Katie left me," she pointed out and watched Alexis jump off the table but not go into the kitchen to eat. Instead she jumped up onto the coffee table and sat there.

Jo thought she understood and picked up the dish of cat food. "You are one spoiled feline." She placed the plate on the coffee table and watched Alexis begin eating. It wasn't where Alexis wanted to eat, but she would make allowances for her grandmother.

"No wonder Katie talks to you." She sat back down at the table and went back to work taking notes. Soon Jo saw Alexis jump back up onto the dining room table and lay down and watch her. Jo couldn't help herself and reached out to pet Alexis. "I bet you have Katie's heart too," she said smiling.

"Meow." _And_ _Mom_ _has mine._

Johanna didn't know what she said but went back to work. Jo was interrupted when the front door opened getting her attention. "What did you…" It was then that Jo saw the two men with guns right behind him. The first one slapped dinner out of Jim's hands and shoved him down onto the sofa.

"Get over here and sit." He motioned at Johanna with his weapon. She got up, shaking, and sank down beside her husband, neither of them paying any attention to Alexis who was on her feet showing her fangs. "Go check the bedrooms," the first man told the other. "Now you're going to call your daughter and get her over here or…" He never finished his threat because suddenly a 589 pound Bengal tiger (490 is the common weight for a male) bit him in the throat and ripped it open as Alexis landed on him.

Alexis opened her mouth wide and without making a sound herself, bit his neck; Johanna and Jim heard bones crunching then saw that huge tiger run off towards the bedrooms. They were still sitting there when the massive tiger walked slowly back out of the guest bedroom and sat down next to the dead man on their living room floor and stared at them. "Jim?"

"I, I, I...I saw…Wh-Where did the t-tiger c-come from?" Jim stammered still in shock and not taking his eyes off of the tiger and ignoring the dead man with no throat lying on their floor. Jo shook her head, the only thing in their apartment with her was Alexis. "Nice kitty," she said hesitantly.

"Growl." _No one hurts my family._

"What did it say?" Jim whispered only to see Johanna shake her head. "You talk to the cat," Johanna suggested. "It's not a tabby cat Jo, it's a Bengal tiger!" Jim countered his wife's claim.

"Katie and Rick are constantly talking to their cat and Alexis has been here all day." Johanna tried to put the pieces together. "Alexis is a tabby cat," Jim reminded her only to watch his wife point at the tiger sitting in front of them. "That's a tiger not a tabby cat," he told her again.

"So where is Alexis now? She was lounging on our dining room table." Johanna indicated their table where her papers were spread out. "You're not suggesting? …How much have you had to drink?" he asked suspiciously. "Well, do you see Alexis the tabby cat anywhere?" Johanna defended herself. "She's hiding like I wish I was doing," Jim replied.

"I'm going to call someone," Johanna said decisively. " **NO!** It's a tiger Jo. It'll rip you to pieces the second you move!" Jim said loudly.

"Growl." _Call_ _M_ _om._

"See, it growled," Jim added to his case only to see his wife glare at him. "I'm calling the police." She was going to risk it and started to get up slowly.

Alexis, however, got up on her feet and put her front paws on the coffee table.

"GROWL!" _CALL MOM!_

Johanna quickly sat back down. "Okay, maybe not." So they just sat there, watching the tiger as it got down off the coffee table and sat there, gazing at them.

"We can't just sit here Jim," Johanna said a little later, getting tired of staring at a huge tiger sitting next to a dead man, watching them. "Who were those two?" Johanna changed the subject never taking her eyes off of the tiger.

"I came home with dinner and was walking inside headed for the elevator when two men with guns showed up. That one…" Jim pointed to the one dead in the middle of their living room, only to put his hand back down quickly. "...jabbed his gun in my side and told me to do what he told me. He jabbed me with it again right outside our door," Jim explained.

"They didn't say why they were here?" Johanna questioned. Jim shook his head. "They let their guns do their talking for them," he said.

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"It's getting late. Maybe we should go pick up Alexis," Kate remarked. "I'll drive over and meet you there. I want to see if there is anyone watching our home or your parents' apartment. You be careful, they know what you look like," Rick warned her.

"I'll give you 15 minutes before I teleport there," she said. Rick kissed her. "Be careful, I'll be right there." He got up, walked to the garage, started the car, and left.

"We're in trouble aren't we?" Kate looked at B5. "You are Class One Supervisor number 202. Your missions will always be dangerous. Remember Richard and his China mission?" B5 countered.

"Don't remind me. I don't think I'll ever get the picture of his back out of my head." She shook her head trying to shake loose that memory. "So basically, suck it up Kate Castle," she offered.

She sat there quietly thinking. Kate glanced at the clock. "It's been 15 minutes," she remarked as she stood up and disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

She appeared across the street from her parents building and looked around. There was a car parked illegally in front of her parents' building so Kate pointed her finger at it and moved down the street so she could get a scan of the license plate and then teleported back home. She pressed her finger down onto the scanning panel. "Tell me about this car."

B5's lights blinked faster. "The car in question was reported stolen this morning," B5 told her. "Warn Rick," Kate called out as she vanished in a twist of clouds and ended up in front of her parents' door.

She tried to listen but didn't hear anything and wished desperately that Alexis was with her so she could listen too. "Alexis is inside." Kate shook her head and started to slowly open the door which turned out to be unlocked.

When she poked her head inside, she saw a dead man in the middle of the living room with Alexis sitting on the floor in front of her parents. The dead man had a pool of blood surrounding his head. She also saw her parents turn to look at her as she opened the door. Kate assumed that Alexis killed the man on the floor. If there was another one she wouldn't just be sitting there.

She pushed the door closed behind her and walked right up to Alexis. " _ **Katie**_ _ **NO!**_ " Jim shouted. Astounded, they both watched Kate wrap her arms around the tiger. "What happened Alexis?" Kate assumed the jig was up so there was no use in trying to hide it.

"ALEXIS!?" Both Jim and Johanna said, disbelieving, at the same time.

"Growl." _Two men entered with guns._ "Growl!" _They threatened my family_ _!_

Kate accepted the news and kissed Alexis's head. "You're a good girl Alexis." She kissed her again. "Rick will be here soon. Watch the door for me?" she asked her and Jim and Johanna watched as the tiger got up, walked over to the door, and sat down.

"Alexis said there were two, where is the other one?" Kate asked looking at her overwhelmed parents as Jim pointed at the bedrooms. She headed for the bedrooms and found another dead man in the guest bedroom. That one had his throat ripped out too. She sighed and noticed the weapon that he had near his body. They were after her parents again, most likely to get to her. That created a problem for her and Rick. And her mother was going to have a gazillion questions. "We are so screwed."

Kate walked back out into the living room and stopped to kiss Alexis again before moving to a position in front of her parents who were still on the sofa. "I'm in trouble aren't I?" she said making a face.

"That's Alexis, your cat?" Johanna started off with and pointed at Alexis the tiger.

"Yup." It was too late to deny it so Kate admitted it.

"You really can talk to your…cat." Johanna wasn't sure just what Alexis was anymore.

"Yup," Kate said again.

"And you understand every meow or growl she makes," Johanna kept asking.

"Yup, every last word. I didn't use to but I learned," Kate admitted.

"How long?" Johanna asked another one.

"Not long after I woke up in Rick's house. Alexis taught me how to understand her." Kate desperately tried not to say "Rick found me and saved me." Damage control was the order of the day.

"A cat taught you how to understand a cat?!" Johanna tried it on for size not understanding any of it.

"Yup." She nodded her head.

"Growl." _Dad_ _'_ _s here._

"Rick's here." Kate translated for them and they all heard a knock on the door. "You can come in babe," she yelled and they watched Rick open the door only to find Alexis the tiger just inside the door.

"Alexis?" Rick was shocked to see Alexis in tiger form. "Hi babe. The jig is up," Kate pointed out.

"Growl." _They had guns_ _D_ _ad._

Rick looked past Alexis to find Kate standing next to a dead man in a small pool of blood and Kate's parents sitting on the sofa in front of her.

" **DAMMIT!"** The shit had just hit the fan. Now they had to figure out what to tell them. Even worse, they knew where Kate's parents lived so Jim and Jo couldn't stay here.


	42. Chapter 42

CH42

"We need to get them out of here. Where there were two, there will be more," Rick said grimly. "You two need to pack for a week and let us find you someplace safe to stay. Staying here is absolutely no longer safe." Rick turned to Jim and Johanna, not seeing them move.

"I know you have questions Mom, but Rick's right. You two are alive right now because I left Alexis behind. I did it on purpose because I was afraid of something like this happening." Kate waved her arm at the dead man on their floor. She took Johanna's hand and pulled. "Now go pack before more of them show up." She started pushing her mother towards their bedroom.

"Katie?" Johanna still wanted answers. "Don't 'Katie' me Mom, we simply don't have the time!" She pushed Johanna and went to pull Jim up off the sofa. "You two have five minutes or I swear I'll pack for you." Kate decided on using threats to get them moving. She finally got them in their bedroom.

Kate returned to the living room. "We're in big trouble babe." And it wasn't just her parents she was talking about. Rick kneeled down and searched for the ID on this guy. He pocketed it to give to B5 later. "Be right back." He and the body disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

"Keep watching the door Alexis; they may have friends," Kate cautioned and watched Alexis stand up and stick her nose in the crack of the door.

Rick returned quickly, alone, went looking for the other body, and did the same with him. He noticed that Kate's parents had two suitcases open on the bed and were actually packing.

"I'm going to give the wallets and weapons to B5 while we still can." Rick disappeared again. That simple statement told her where he was planning on taking her parents which made her love him a little more, if that was even possible.

He came back just in time to watch Jim and Johanna walk out into the living room, each carrying a suitcase. "Alexis?" Rick asked.

"Meow." _All clear_ _D_ _ad._

The look on her parents' faces had Kate responding, "Yes, Alexis is back to looking like a simple tabby cat. Now let's go." She guided them towards the door before her mother had a chance to notice that the dead body in their living room was suddenly missing. "My paperwork!?" Johanna stopped at the door and looked at her.

"You don't need it anymore Mom. We've gone way past what that paperwork can tell you, trust me." And she pushed her mother out the door.

Rick was the last one out. He pointed his finger at the lock and followed everyone downstairs. "Here are the keys to the hit men's car that you two will be driving to our home and here is our garage door opener. I think you know how to get there. I want you to park in our garage and I'll park on the street. Kate and I will be right behind you," Rick informed them and handed over the keys and door opener.

Rick helped them load their suitcases while Kate went to Rick's car and got in. "Yes, you're taking the hit men's car. If those two knew where you lived they probably know your car too. And we don't need them or their friends to follow you to our place. We'll be right behind you." He picked up Alexis and jogged to his car, handing Alexis over to Kate. He got in then started his car. He activated the screen, tagged the hit men's car, and followed Kate's parents.

"I don't understand Jim. How did our daughter know to leave whatever Alexis is behind? And how does Alexis do that?" Johanna started her questions. The only problem was that she was asking the person who didn't have any answers.

"The one who did all the talking said we were going to call our daughter and…and what? Call her to come over so they could kill her too?" Jim had his own questions. "What are those two mixed up in?" Johanna asked a bigger question. "What makes you think it's them? You're the one who is investigating a known mob enforcer who was convicted of murdering an undercover FBI agent," Jim countered.

Johanna shut-up for a moment and thought. "He's a mob enforcer convicted of a murder he didn't commit because of corrupt cops. According to Pulgotti it was Raglan, McCallister, and Montgomery," she pointed out. "Captain Montgomery? The same Montgomery that we went to countless times looking for Katie?" Jim questioned, astonished. He didn't see her nod since his eyes were on the road ahead and on the rear view mirror watching Rick and Kate following them in Rick's Audi.

"Did Montgomery send those two? What's so special about Katie that Montgomery wants her killed?" Jim was trying to keep up. Johanna shook her head. "Those three (meaning Raglan, McCallister and Montgomery) aren't smart enough or powerful enough to pull this off. Get Pulgotti convicted and known hit men come to us to get to Katie. But why her? Does it have anything to do with why she was in North Korea?" she speculated.

"Why do they need us? Can't they just look Katie up and find out who she is married to?" Jim got lost at that point. "Maybe Pulgotti was supposed to take the fall and when you took the case it stirred up a hornets' nest," he suggested.

"Three cops, two of which are retired by the way, that are willing to kill to keep their secret? What secret, that they're dirty?" Johanna shook her head. "Cops on the take are nothing new. There might be fewer of them now, but that doesn't mean they don't still exist." She tried to work it out.

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"I don't suppose there is a protocol for a situation like this that I don't know of?" Kate asked while absent mindlessly petting Alexis who laid in her lap. "Only the same one you know about," Rick responded while keeping his eyes on the road, the car in front of him, the location on the screen for the now tagged hit men's car, and his mirrors to see if they were being followed.

"Great! Tell no one." Kate knew they were in trouble, just not how much trouble. "So what do we tell them? You know my mother. She was already champing at the bit wanting to ask a ton of questions about Alexis." Kate knew she had gotten off the hook earlier only because they were interrupted.

"We're going to have to be careful about using B5. We may be forced to use our tablets from now on for communication. As for our alien friends and our mission…" Rick trailed off. "Someone finds out and we get re-assigned to another planet." Kate finished for him. Key had been quite specific about maintaining the secret nature of their work.

"We're going to have to explain Alexis in a plausible way. My mother isn't going to sit still for 'No comment.' She'll blow a blood vessel." Kate pointed out the obvious.

"Well, we told them the story about a CIA mission of a friend who found you and brought you to me. Perhaps we just keep running with that?" he offered. "Tell my mother that we're both CIA operatives who just happen to be working in New York City where the CIA has no jurisdiction?" She poked a giant-sized, Johanna-shaped hole in his plan.

"We are chasing drugs that are manufactured and sent from another country. It's something a CIA operative would be interested in. Our problem is all of the corrupt local people who are in on it," Rick said. "Forcing us to work inside the United States. …Okay that might hold her off for a little while. They both have jobs, you know, and sitting around at home because it is too dangerous to leave our home and go into work is going to drive both of them batty, with my mother being the first to crack," she pointed out. Kate was thinking just hours, maybe a day or two at most.

"That's easy, we're CIA operatives and we give both of them the data we have on Turkey and let them chew on that for a while. Which reminds me, we still need to burn down the processing plant and the packaging building, and when we find the main warehouse do the same to it. Possibly even a trip to the closest docks looking for another container filled with this crap," he reminded her.

"Why do I always get the docks?" Kate moaned since they were changing who did what, where. "You can take Alexis with you, she'll keep you company." Rick offered an incentive.

"Meow." _Count me in._

"Keep in mind, we need information regarding the unknown US Senator and the guy sitting at Langley. Those two are the probable brains behind all of this," he said. "It still doesn't explain how dirty cops got into this. Or Pulgotti, what is so special about him?" She pointed to a missing piece of their puzzle. "Sounds like a perfect task for your mother." He gave her a quick look while smiling.

"This still doesn't explain Alexis," Kate reminded him.

"Meow." _I'm not sorry._

"We're not mad at you Alexis. You actually did what I wanted you to do when I left you there. It's just bad luck that they came looking for my parents to get to me. I should have used a fake name in the first place." She bent down and kissed the furry head of Alexis. "They would have ID'd you eventually," he remarked. "And how were they going to do that when even B5 couldn't ID me?" she countered.

It was a mistake and they both knew it, now they just had to deal with the consequences of that one choice. "Montgomery would have ID'd you and passed it on to the others," Rick replied. It made Kate feel better, but not by much.

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Jim pressed the button, drove the hit men's stolen car into the garage, and pressed it again to close it. "What's wrong?" He heard his wife sigh heavily. "I'm sure Rick has ice cream, he's married to our daughter after all." That accomplished what he had hoped for; it brought a smile to his wife's face as she sort of chuckled.

"We've been chased out of our own home," Johanna still moaned. Had her case gotten them into this mess? Not that she was going to back down, it just wasn't in her nature. "Let's go Jim, I want answers." Johanna opened the car door and got out followed by her husband.

Rick slowed way down and watched the garage door close. "Teleport inside and warn B5 we are going to have company for an extended period and then meet them at the door to the garage. I'll find a place to park and be right in," Rick said and gladly accepted Kate's quick kiss before she and Alexis were gone in a cloudy swirl.

Kate teleported to right in front of B5 and warned her to stay quiet for the foreseeable future. She put Alexis down on the floor who promptly bounded down the stairs to the front door and waited for her grandparents to come inside. Kate was just getting there when Johanna entered first while maneuvering her suitcase with Jim right behind her.

"I know we've given you the tour before so you know where everything is. I hope you brought a swim suit since we have an indoor pool," Kate reminded them. "I didn't. I didn't even think of it," Jim quickly responded. "Not to worry. I packed one for you in with my clothing," Johanna responded and kissed his cheek.

"You can have the spare master bedroom directly across the hall from ours or you can have one of the two guest rooms one floor up. I'm going to go look in the refrigerator. I'm not sure just what we have," Kate told them and left them to find their way.

Alexis glided up the stairs in front of them and was waiting for them on the bed inside the spare master bedroom. Johanna dropped her suitcase on the big king-sized bed. "So you talk." She didn't open her suitcase just yet. "I should thank you for our lives I suppose." Johanna felt weird thanking a cat for their lives. "Just how do you do that anyway? The difference between now and the other is…impossible."

"Meow." _You're welcome._ "Meow." _It's a secret._

"What did she say?" Jim asked teasing his wife as he opened his suitcase to unpack. "I have no idea," Johanna replied and followed her husband. Alexis just sat there watching them, happy as a clam. She had everyone she cared about, except for Martha, under one roof.

Rick walked inside and set the alarm. He watched as 2 DRDs suddenly showed up and began cleaning the entrance. "DAMN!" He ran for the dining room. "Where are your parents?" Rick asked as Kate had her head buried inside the refrigerator. "They should be unpacking in one of the guest rooms. I gave them their choice. Why?"

"B5 activate," he called. "B5 operational," was her response. "Shut down all DRD cleaning until Kate's parents leave the house and remain quiet until they are gone," Rick told her.

"I forgot about them," she replied apologetically. "So had I until two of them popped out while I was in the foyer turning the alarm back on," he admitted.

"What else does this house do that we need to shut-down while my parents are here?" Kate wondered. Rick tried to think about it. "The security system is rather high tech and connected to B5, but that can easily be explained away. The panels scattered about the house are also high tech, but your parents have already seen them. Except for B5, Alexis, and us. That's about it I think." He couldn't think of anything else.

Rick was starting work on what was now a very late dinner with Kate sitting at the dining room table just waiting and maybe dreading what was to come a little. A heavy weight prize fight just about to begin was what it felt like. "You remain quiet much longer and I'm going to kill myself." He turned around and looked at her.

"Sorry babe, I'm just not looking forward to the 20 gazillion questions that are about to come. I'm glad that they're safe but how do we keep them safe? Mom especially isn't going to just hide out here til they can go home. Staying here might be risking their jobs," Kate pointed out.

"We might have a way out of that if I go to their offices and explain that they are needed elsewhere as a matter of national security," Rick suggested. Kate considered it and thought that it just might work.

Alexis came bounding into the dining room and jumped up onto the table. They figured that Kate's parents would be right behind her. "Thank you for protecting my parents Alexis." She kissed her furry head.

"It was quite the sight Katie. One second he was standing there pointing a gun at us telling to call you and have you come over and the next, this huge tiger jumped him and bit him," Johanna said as she joined Kate at the table.

"You're probably wondering how she does that." Kate decided to face the questions head on.

"That and how you understand every sound this cat makes." Johanna didn't notice that she had reached out and was petting Alexis, waiting for Katie to explain.

"It's actually more simple than you think. Alexis isn't real," Kate told her as Johanna started laughing quietly. "Riiight, not real," Johanna said sarcastically, noticing that she was petting Alexis without realizing it. "She looks real, sounds real, and feels real."

"Alexis wasn't born Mom. The Alexis you're petting was made. She's what we call a construct. A collection of bits and pieces that make her look like a cat and allow her to change into a tiger," Kate said. "You mean a robot?" Johanna wasn't buying it. "Who's a robot?" Jim walked in a little late. "Katie is trying to pass off Alexis as being a robot to explain what she can do," Johanna explained.

"A construct Mom, not a robot," Kate corrected her. "Robot, construct, po-ta-to, pa-tah-to," Johanna countered.

Kate got up and reached out her hand to Rick. "Babe?" She hoped he knew what she was asking. He pulled a paring knife out of the block and handed it to her.

"Katie no!" Johanna may be questioning her daughter but cutting Alexis was taking it too far. "A cat should have blood shouldn't it? Well, Alexis has blood too, but it just isn't red." Kate sat down and reached out to Alexis who came willingly.

"We'll fix it and it'll be quick, you won't feel a thing," she promised.

"Meow?" _You're going to have B5 fix me?_

"I, I…oh boy." Kate hadn't thought it through. Her parents were here in the dining room with B5 on the wall next to them. There was no way they could learn about B5. The two of them would end up on another planet, maybe not even the same one.

"Give me the knife Kate." Rick took the knife from her hand and got her to stand up so he could take her place. He took Alexis's leg in his hand and gave it just the slightest of slices, just enough to make it bleed. Everyone heard Alexis hiss from the slight pain.

He squeezed her leg just a little and ended up with a large white dot on the tip of his finger. Jim and Johanna watched with their eyes wide. "Hold out your hand, please," Rick asked Johanna and placed the small amount of fluid in her palm. "Does it look like blood? Does it feel like blood? Does it taste like blood?" Rick fired off. And they all watched Johanna rub it between her hand and a finger. "It feels slimy and maybe a little oily," she stated. She put her finger with a dab of synthetic blood on it in her mouth and immediately spat it out. "That stuff is disgusting," Johanna stated after tasting it on her tongue.

"Meow." _Hey, don't insult me._

"Go fire up the grill and take your parents with you while I fix Alexis, please," Rick told Kate.

"I want to see!" Johanna demanded. "Let's go Mom. You too Dad." Kate took them each by the arm and pulled. "But I want to see what Rick does," Johanna complained. "You've already seen too much Mom, now let's go." This time Kate put some strength into pulling her mother along while Jim went willingly enough.

It was a very quiet ride in the elevator up to the roof where the grill was located. "You said she's a construct but just what is she?" Johanna asked one of her many questions.

"I can't tell you that mom, I just can't," Kate insisted as she opened the valve on the propane bottle and pushed the ignitor button after turning on the burner.

"What's going on Katie? How did you get her? Who made her? How does she go from being a tiny cat to a huge tiger?" Johanna fired off a number of questions.

"I can't tell you that Mom," Kate countered as she made sure the burner had fired and closed the lid.

"Katie?" Johanna wanted answers. "I know you want answers Mom, but you're just going to have to live without them. I left Alexis with you with the intent that she was to protect you two and she did. Because she did, you now already know too much. I'm not telling you anything more and neither is Rick. That's just the way it is. You can ask questions all night long and every day you stay here, but you're not going to get any answers."

"I'm sorry Mom, but the cost of telling you anything is just too high of a price to pay. Please, just be happy that you're both alive," Kate begged them. "I'm going to go help Rick with the food."

Johanna stopped Kate by taking her arm. "What price?" Kate sighed heavily. "Do you remember the pain of not seeing me for 5 years? Not knowing where I was?" She watched Johanna nod. "Now imagine that pain with me, Rick, and Alexis being gone for as long as any of us lives. That kind of price Mom, that kind of price." Kate left them on the roof and went back downstairs to Rick.

Rick was just taking Alexis off the medical bed as Kate entered the room. "How did it go?" he asked. "Mom still has a lot of questions and will likely ask a few eventually, but I think...I _hope_ she understands the implications of getting any answers."


	43. Chapter 43

**CH43**

Dinner that night had been rather quiet with Johanna holding her tongue which Jim found to be amazing, though he didn't say anything.

The next morning Rick washed Kate and made sure his fingers washed every little fold inside and outside of her core that left her weak in the knees. She had made sure that every inch of Rick was just as clean as she deep throated his erection and swallowed his come.

Her period was due any day now and while she loved the orgasms Rick gave her, she just wasn't in the mood to have him inside her. Besides he'd already left a lot of his little swimmers inside her.

She was sitting naked at her dressing table, putting on her make-up for the day when Rick suddenly showed up and kissed her shoulders. "What are you thinking? I can see the gears turning in your head from the other side of the room," he asked her. Last night had been hard on her after all. Kate looked at his reflection in the mirror. "I was thinking of just how many of your little swimmers are inside me and that I might already be pregnant. Can B5 tell if I am yet?" she questioned. He shook his head. "Too early even for her to tell. We're going to have to wait at least a week or more. Is that all that's on your mind?" Rick was sure there was more going on in there.

"I want us to stop using condoms even if I'm not pregnant." Kate turned to look right at him. "I want a family and I want to be pregnant. I know I'm only 20 but those 8 years changed me and I want…" She was forced to stop talking when he kissed her. "You're amazing, you really are. And I love you with everything I have." He kissed her again.

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Johanna turned over and found Jim flat on his stomach with his face smashed into his pillow. This bed was bigger than theirs and the damn thing was beyond comfortable, let alone the sheets! She stretched while still in bed and her feet hit something which got her to suddenly stop and look towards the end of the bed. She found Alexis in her tabby cat form lying there looking at her. "Have you been there all night?" she whispered.

"Meow." _I don't want you scared of me_ _G_ _rams._

She had no clue what Alexis said, but the tone of her meow had Jo reaching out her hands, gathering Alexis to her chest. "Was Katie right, that we could lose her if I press her for answers and actually get them?" Johanna wasn't sure she believed it. Still the fear of losing her daughter again was enough to keep her silent for now. At least until she understood better.

"Meow." _Permanently_ _G_ _rams, permanently._

"You understand every word I'm saying don't you." Johanna wasn't sure she was questioning Alexis since she had watched Katie and Rick talk to her constantly as if she understood every word only to meow her answers back.

"Meow." _Mom and_ _D_ _ad own my heart now._

"You're remarkable. If Rick hadn't drawn your 'blood' right in front of me I would swear that you are a real live cat. I kind of like your collar too. I've never seen anything like it." Johanna fingered it and found that it fit snugly around Alexis's neck. "How did this thing not choke you when you changed into a tiger?" She tried to think back but found she was too shocked at what she had seen to remember.

"Meow." _That_ _'_ _s me_ _G_ _rams._

"So now _you're_ talking to the cat too." Jim was awake and had heard everything after Johanna questioning if Alexis understood every word she said. "I can't help it. There's something about this cat that just begs you to hold her and kiss her fur and talk to her. I haven't felt anything like this since…" She tried to think back to when that time was.

"It must be a mother thing. Katie dotes on that cat like it was her very own child." Jim was pretty sure it belonged to Rick, at least until Katie had entered the picture. "That's it! Holding Alexis is like I felt when I was holding Katie right after she was born. You want to open you heart and love and protect her. To do everything and anything for her." Johanna sat up, held Alexis up, and looked right at her. "Just what are you?" She pulled Alexis into her chest and squeezed lightly.

"Purrr." _Love me and you'll find out_ _G_ _rams._

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Jim and Johanna found the shower big enough for both of them which hadn't happened in a long time. It did, however, cause hands and lips to wander around like they hadn't done in a while.

A glowing Johanna with Jim right behind her entered the kitchen to find an equally glowing Kate who still had wandering hands and was kissing Rick. "You're not burning our breakfast are you?" Johanna teased, while Kate kissed Rick's cheek one last time.

"Yours is already in the warmer. You just need plates, silverware, and something to drink. We have milk, juice, water, or we can go get something else," Kate offered as she pulled out 4 plates. "Juice will be fine Katie," Johanna told her.

"I have some errands to run and will be taking the car, our car," Rick corrected himself. "The car you drove here is stolen, so leave it right where it is and only go outside on the roof or patio. I'll be back by lunch," he said and kissed Alexis who was eating her breakfast as he passed her.

Kate followed him to the door. "Where are you going?" She didn't know of any errands."I'm tired of losing this battle. Those drugs are going to destroy countless lives so I'm going shopping to make incendiary bombs to take out those two buildings along with the warehouse(s) when you find them as well as those 3 containers," he explained.

"We're not losing babe. We've learned a lot. We just need to find Coonan's warehouse and get rid of what's in it along with who's selling all of it. That US senator and our CIA operative." Kate countered his dim view of things. "And deal with Montgomery, DEA agents, and any FBI agents we don't know about," he added. "Okay, so we still have a little work to do. Not to mention figuring out who's going to push the button," she admitted. "I knew you'd see it my way. I'll be back after I find all the parts I need. Good luck with your parents." Rick kissed her, went out the door, and walked to his car.

"Alone with my pit-bull mother who wants answers that she can't have. Yeah, this is going to be fun." She just knew the next few days were going to be hell.

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Kate couldn't take it any longer. Her mother was staring at her and asking a million questions in under a second and all without saying a single word. "Okay Mother, start asking. Just be warned - there's a lot we can't tell you and never will be able to." Kate had lost her appetite.

"Why did you leave Alexis with us? How did you know we needed protection?" Johanna began. "You have your case with Pulgotti. Rick and I were given the same case and have been working on finding out what's going on. We're way out in front of you," Kate explained.

"You two have my… Who gave it to you?" Johanna asked. "Can't tell you that Mom. Next question," Kate replied shaking her head.

"Pulgotti is innocent isn't he?" Johanna really wanted to know that she had accepted the case for the right reasons. "Innocent? Definitely not. Innocent of murdering an undercover FBI agent? Most definitely," Kate told her.

"Who killed Armen?" Johanna was hoping Katie knew. "We have no clue. Our best guess would be one of the three officers that were involved. You have a one in three chance of being right," she answered.

"So why?" Johanna got right to the big question. "Why? …Short answer, money. Hundreds of millions actually, if not billions," Kate answered her question without giving her details. Johanna's and even Jim's eyes open wide. "How could anyone gain that much money?"

"What's the first, most illegal method you can think of?" Kate countered and waited for her mother to make the connection. "Mob enforcer and corrupt police officers. The mob would be involved in lots of… SERIOUSLY?" Johanna was sure she had the answer."Thousands if not hundreds of thousands of kilos' worth. So far we have three shipping containers that arrived recently and that's just this year," Kate said.

"Jo?" Jim was trailing behind. "Drugs dear, lots and lots by the sounds of it," she explained and went back to looking at Kate. "Cocaine?" Johanna questioned, only to watch her shake her head. "Heroin," she replied. Jo made a face. Cocaine could screw up a person's life, but heroin could end it and that was before they overdosed. "It has to stop Katie. That stuff is going to destroy so many families." Johanna still wanted in on this. She needed to finish what she started.

"Wait here." Kate got up and left the room and went all the way up to Rick's office then came back down, finding Johanna just sitting there petting Alexis who was lying on the table near her. "I see Alexis has gotten to you too." Kate couldn't help but smile and laugh lightly. "There's something about this cat. I can't seem to help it." Johanna didn't stop petting Alexis even though she had been caught doing it.

"Here. This is just about everything Rick and I know about. Most of the people that are involved in this. Records of countless things. Items that we have ourselves confirmed and others things that other people have confirmed for us." She handed over one of their two tablets to her mother.

"What's this?" Johanna took it, looking it over. She hadn't ever seen anything like it. "Think of it as a slim, lightweight laptop, which is pretty much what it is," Kate answered her question. "Everything's in here?" Johanna was afraid to think just how much information was on this thing. "Most everything, yeah. We have yet to do any research on those two hit men that showed up at your apartment, but most of it's in there," she told her. "It's broken down to people and/or places to help keep track of what you're reading," Kate said. "It should keep you busy for several days. Maybe you'll even find something Rick and I haven't."

"It leaves us with a problem Jo," Jim spoke up. "I'm due at the office tomorrow. I'm needed there," he pointed out.

"That's one of the errands that Rick is taking care of. You are now not expected in your office for days, weeks...months if necessary," Kate told him. "And how did you accomplish that?" Jim questioned. The office wasn't THAT big and he was needed. Kate, however, remained silent. "Another one of those questions you can't answer," Johanna guessed. "Sorry...I really am Mom. I'd like to be able to tell you, it would make things so much easier. But the price we would all pay is just too high." She would likely be assigned to a different planet and never see her parents, Rick, Alexis, or anyone else ever again.

"Which reminds me, we invited Maddie and her boyfriend over for dinner tonight. She's going to let us meet Kyle. That should be fun." Kate was smiling widely and rubbing her hands together.

"Do you know where Martha is now?" Johanna changed the subject. She had some answers and she had everything in her hands if Katie was right. All she had to do was start reading.

"Portland, Oregon at the Keller Auditorium. She should be there for another 3 or maybe 4 weeks, I think. After that she'll move on to Seattle for a month if I remember correctly. Seattle is their last stop unless they add more cities that they haven't already been to." Kate had asked Rick about Martha's itinerary thinking it might be nice to go see her again and maybe visit Seattle for a few days. Perhaps take a quick trip over to Victoria, British Columbia if Martha had the time.

"Seattle is nice I hear," Johanna commented. Do you and Dad want to come with us? I can ask Martha for more tickets to her show. We can see what changes they've made since Reno," Kate offered. Johanna looked at Jim who nodded in agreement. "We'd like that." Johanna wanted to see Martha again and look around a little.

"Martha is 3 hours behind us so I'll wait until lunch before she has a rehearsal and call and ask her. She'll probably be thrilled." Kate had no doubt of it. Her time with Martha had proved that Martha was a very vibrant and active person.

Kate would have Rick to get them airfare and hotel rooms in both cities for all of them.

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Kate hadn't seen her mother for hours and just assumed that she had selected some location in the house to do some heavy reading. "Looking good Dad!" she commented and was all set to wolf whistle at him but didn't. "I thought I would hit the pool. It's been a long time since I've been in a pool and the best part about this one is I won't get a sunburn using it." Jim was smiling as he continued his way down the stairs.

"Have you seen Alexis?" Kate called after him as he went down the stairs. "With your mother," Jim yelled back. The problem was that she didn't know if that was a good idea or not.

They had already had lunch and Rick had yet to return so she went to the garage with the intent of going out but found that the only car was the stolen car. "CRAP I forgot," she cursed and closed the door. "Where are you babe?"

She couldn't risk turning B5 on so she went to their bedroom to find Rick's pad since Johanna had hers. "B5 activate remote," Kate told the pad after making sure the door was closed.

"B5 active," came the reply. "Show me a map of the city Gümüşhacıköy in Turkey," Kate asked her and soon had a tiny map of a larger city, forcing her to move around all over the place looking for warehouses.

"Oooo, what's this way out east?" she questioned since she liked it and it looked like a large grouping of buildings. "DAMN, a housing development." Kate zoomed back out.

She looked at the large site just north of there, just off of E80. "Another housing group." Kate zoomed back out again. "Hm, what's this way out west?" She zoomed in. "A hospital," she sighed. "Maybe we have the wrong city. We are, after all, just guessing at this point." She zoomed back out.

"What's this on Gümüş Cd." Kate zoomed in. "An industrial area. Now we're talking." She zoomed in. "Looks like an actual operational industrial area, but what are these buildings out back? Kate zoomed behind the area. "There are eight really long buildings out back. I wonder how many devices Rick is planning on making. Looks like I'm going to need more of them." She continued to talk to herself.

She kept looking at the site trying to decide on where to teleport into without being seen so she could search the buildings and leave behind Rick's toys. "Maybe this last building way south. The only thing south of that is open field." She decided on a location. She zoomed way out to get a better feel for the area around the city, and it was a city compared to the village where the heroin was processed and packaged.

Suddenly the bedroom door opened. Kate hurriedly turned off his tablet only to see Rick walk in. "Here you are. Sorry it took so long, but I had to put them together after finding everything I needed," he apologized as he closed the door behind him.

"I think I found a good spot to look," she told him and turned his tablet back on. "Yeah, I like it. I just don't have that many devices. I have 1 each for the processing building, packaging building, and those 3 containers that we need to find again along with one for Coonan's warehouse. I only have 2 extra at the moment. I can make more but not until tomorrow," Rick informed her.

"Well, we haven't found Coonan's warehouse yet or the ones in Turkey. And those 3 containers shouldn't be that hard to find.

"It's almost dark here so it should be well into the night there. Where are your devices and how do I use them?" She planned on going now right after she picked up Alexis.

He took the tablet away from her and placed it on the bed. Then he took her hand and teleported both of them to where he put them together.

"It's simple. Press this button for an hour delay, the next for a two hour delay, and this one for a three hour delay. It has a small explosion that is meant to spread the phosphorus. This is white phosphorus which reacts badly to oxygen, hence the small explosion to spread it around. The benefit of this stuff is that you can't use water to put out the fire. Water will just spread the phosphorus around thus spreading the fire. Once the phosphorus burns itself out then they can use water to put out the fire," Rick said. "Just don't drop it unless you want to burn," he warned her. Kate picked up two of them and teleported to their bedroom.

"I need to change," she said and went into their closet only to come back out dressed in all black. Even her tennis shoes were black and her hair was pinned up behind her head. "One hour, two hour, and three hour." She was thankful it was simple.

She headed into the hallway and down to the main floor where she pressed a button on one of the many panels. "Alexis!" Kate called and heard it throughout the house. "Alexis!" she called again and found Alexis rushing up the stairs.

"Time to get to work sweetie." Kate picked her up with her spare hand, her other hand holding the bag the two devices were in. "Wish me luck," she said but didn't wait for Rick to respond and was gone in a swirl of clouds.

She put Alexis down. "Keep your eyes open, don't go into any of the buildings, and _stay away from that house_." Kate pointed at it. She wanted the little girl to keep her puppy. "DAMN, we haven't moved the puppy food yet. Two hour delay it is then," she told herself, stepped into the air lock, and put on one of the suits before going inside.

She found an out-of-the-way spot not easily seen, pressed the second button, and placed the device, only to teleport to the packaging building where she took off the suit, placed the other device, and went outside. "Anything?" Kate whispered to Alexis who hadn't moved far.

"Meow." _All clear_ _M_ _om._

Kate picked up Alexis and teleported over to the other two buildings that they hadn't searched yet. It turned out both buildings were filled with farming equipment along with some empty containers that had black stains in them. She put Alexis down. "Stay here and keep an eye out," she said very quietly. She disappeared only to come back seconds later with a bag of puppy food, only to do it 9 more times.

"Meow?" _What's in the bags_ _M_ _om?_

"Food," she whispered then continued, "We're about to burn out their ability to make money and Rick and I feel guilty about that." Kate told her a white lie, picked her up, and went home.

Just under two hours later half the village was at the two buildings trying to put out the fire that consumed both of them completely.


	44. Chapter 44

**CH44**

Kate had to be certain that the bombs worked like Rick intended so she and Alexis were at their closest campsite off to the east, watching the buildings burn. "Time to go home Alexis." She picked her up and they disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

She ended up in their bedroom, put Alexis down, and watched her scamper off. "Traitor," she called after her, secure in the knowledge that she was running to Kate's mother.

She changed clothes and went downstairs where she found Rick getting dinner ready. "How did it go?" he asked her. "They worked just like you planned. Those two buildings are gone and the dog food is in one of their barns filled with farming tools," Kate told him.

"So those were the only two buildings. …There must be more of them out there. That one little place might be just enough for Coonan, but not 3 shipping containers," he said.

"Do we stick with finding the main warehouse or start looking for more manufacturing sites?" she queried. She was willing to do either or both. "We stick with what we know already. Technically we're not after the drugs," Rick pointed out. "We're after the guy who pushes the button," Kate finished for him.

"Fine. I'll take Alexis and check out that location in **Gümüşhacıköy** ," Kate relented, maybe they can re-visit Turkey again after they complete their mission.

"Babe, can we also go looking for a place for me to open up an office. Except for this mission I'm not doing anything. We're living off of the money you make. I'm not contributing anything." Kate wanted to do something, be someone.

"How about taking cases of missing woman and finding them? You can use one of the tablets to let B5 help you find a place. I'll buy it or rent it and even help you when I'm not writing," he offered.

She was more than happy. "Thanks babe, I love you." She kissed him and he kissed her back. She also felt his hands massage her ass. "Down boy! Besides you've already taken me on the kitchen counter." She removed Rick's hands off her ass.

"I'm still not sharing my plan for Central Park with you." He teased her with his plan. Rick smiled when he noticed Kate's breaths were shallow, almost panting as she looked at him with lust in her eyes.

"Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes if you want to find your parents," he suggested and gave her a quick kiss.

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They were all sitting at the dining room table except for Alexis who was eating out of her crystal dish on the island countertop. "I can't believe how much you two have found out about. That laptop, tablet thingy is packed with information. I haven't even made it through Montgomery's case files yet. How did you two get all this information?" Johanna asked them as she took a bite. She watched both of them as they just kept eating and remained silent. "And you can't tell me."

"I'm sorry Mom, I really am. But I'm not losing you two again just because you want answers that we can't give you." Kate hated this part.

"And I suppose you can't tell me who is going to take you three away if you tell me. How in the heck are they going to find out anyway? Jim and I can keep a secret." Johanna tried another tactic. Kate simply glared at her mother. Johanna finally sighed and gave up.

"I thought Madison and her boyfriend were coming over tonight." Johanna changed the subject.

"Maddie called to cancel. Something about a delivery screw up at her restaurant. We're back on for tomorrow night, here. She said she would even bring a little something extra for the meal, whatever that means." Madison had been tight lipped about what she had planned.

"Have you two met Kyle yet?" Kate asked since Madison and her parents had kept in touch while she was missing. Johanna shook her head. "She hasn't told us anything," she admitted.

"I'm looking forward to meeting him. It will give me the chance at finding out what his intentions are with Madison," Jim said, his smile wide. He hadn't gotten in any practice with Katie since she disappeared at age 15.

"Do _not_ scare the man off Jim! It sounds like Madison really likes him. Besides she must really like him if she is subjecting him to the four of us," Johanna pointed out.

"Meow." _Don't forget me._

"What did she say?" Johanna asked. "Alexis added herself into the group making it five," Kate responded.

"Does Madison know about…" Johanna motioned towards Alexis. "No, she doesn't and it needs to stay that way Mom, so no blabbing." Kate pointed her finger at her mother in warning. "I just hope we aren't already in too much trouble with what you do know." B5 hadn't said anything as of yet.

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Kate was stripping and getting ready for bed when she noticed that Alexis was missing again. "We've lost our girl to my mother," she remarked to Rick who was still in the closet. "You asked her to protect your parents. Alexis has simply decided to keep watch over them while they are here," he called from the closet before stepping out. "Where are you going babe?" Rick wasn't naked like she almost was.

"I'm going to the office of the now deceased assistant director of the FBI New York field office. I want to find out if all of those files are still there and if the listening device has been replaced," he told her.

"But I got the guy who killed him," Kate reminded him.

"And whoever was pulling his strings will just send someone else. We need to find out who has replaced him and if he is associated with whomever," he said. "Perhaps this will give us a lead onto who are two mystery men are." He was ever hopeful.

"Don't be gone too long babe, I hate cold beds with no one to keep me warm." Kate, still in panties and bra, stepped up to Rick to wrap her arms around him and kiss him. "We also need to make sure that I'm pregnant," she reminded him.

He risked it and teleported directly into the deceased assistant director's old office. He had to remember to keep silent and not talk to himself unlike last time, Rick cursed silently.

His eyes opened wide when the first thing he noticed was that all of the filing cabinets were gone. Interesting. The pictures on the wall were missing as well, however, the guest chairs, the desk and the desk chair was still there.

Rick pointed his finger at everything and got a pulse when he pointed at one wall. Since he didn't see anything he ran his hands over the wall until he felt a bump. He smiled as he moved to the window as silently as possible to look for another box til he found one.

"I have another bug with transmitter. Change the frequency and encrypt what is sent," he whispered into his finger and pointed at the box outside the window til his finger pulsed again.

Smiling even wider, Rick went to the desk and searched it completely. "Empty. I wonder who they are going to pick to replace him," he said to himself. "Time to go home and hope we get something." He pressed the gem in his palm and was gone in a swirl of clouds.

"You're back." Kate cooed from their bed buried under the covers. "Now strip and get into bed," she commanded. He started to walk to the closet. "Where do you think you're going mister? I said strip and get into this bed."

Rick decided to take his time as he stripped while watching Kate smile. He was eventually naked, under the covers, and wrapped up in her arms. "Better?" he questioned. "Perfect," she responded and tried to eliminate any gaps between their bodies.

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Jim had his arms around his wife. "You learning anything?" he asked her. "I've learned that Alexis is more than just a cat. I've learned that much." Johanna looked down at the foot of the bed where Alexis was laying quietly.

"Meow." _Love me and you'll understand._

"What did she say?" he asked, wondering if his wife and caught on yet, not that he had or was even close. "Haven't got a clue," she was forced to admit.

"Meow." _You need to listen with your heart._

"Don't ask." Johanna cut her husband off at the pass. She simply snuggled in a little closer. "It feels really good to have her back and we're definitely asking Rick where he got this bed and these sheets!"

"I understand that." Jim loved this bed just as much as his wife. "And I meant your reading, have you learned anything?" he went back to his original question.

"Those two have so much information, it's going to take me days to read all of this stuff. What I don't understand is why they're even involved in the first place. Rick is a writer and I don't know what Katie is doing except being a stay at home wife." Johanna didn't understand that last part at all. The daughter she knew wouldn't just sit there and do nothing.

Maybe that's why they had so much information. Just how did they get it all?

"Knowing Katie she has a plan. Maybe that's a question she can answer," Jim offered.

At least it gave Johanna a new question.

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Kate had just finished washing Rick including giving his penis her undivided attention. She just wasn't interested in having him inside her again today. She was hoping her period would happen today or tomorrow or more accurately, not happen at all.

"So what's the plan for today? Since I'm in Turkey and you're here, I need to find that warehouse or warehouses and we need that warehouse of Coonan's as well as those three shipping containers.

Someone ordered the Coast Guard to stand down. Someone who has the power to tell a Rear Admiral to stand down or has something on him," Kate remarked.

"I'll take the Coonan warehouse if you'll find the warehouse in Turkey. I made eight phosphorus bombs and we used two yesterday. I'll take one and the rest are yours. Later I'll make more for the cargo containers.

While you're there see if you can find more books. Maybe they'll tell us what port they are using and if we're fortunate, the name or names of the ships they use." He knew he was reaching, but maybe they would get lucky.

"That should be fun. I still get to take Alexis with me, right?" Kate wanted to make sure. "Yep, you have more ground to cover. I'll be fine." Or at least Rick hoped he would. He had screwed up the last two times he had gone anywhere without Alexis.

"It's not dark in Turkey for another three hours however," she pointed out. Rick thought about it. "Warehouse or the containers?" he queried. "Either way you're taking Alexis with you." Kate started smiling. Warehouse or containers? "Containers, they got away from me once, I'm not losing them again." She wanted those drugs gone.

"See if you can scan the computers or files to tell you who ordered the release of that ship. It might be either the Senator or our CIA friend." Rick wanted the drugs gone also, but they needed to save their planet. The mission came first.

"I better get dressed then if I'm going to make an impression." Kate was smiling since she wanted those damn containers. "One of them is still in New York babe. The other two were on the ship."

"Last one back provides lunch for all of us?" He decided to have some fun with her. "You are so on, and it better be the best damn Philly Cheese Steak I've ever had." Kate wanted her reward.

Then they both rushed into their shared closet to get dressed with an occasional elbow or stroke of a hand to slow the other down. "Break a leg babe." And she pressed the gem in her hand and was gone.

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Rick stayed long enough to read what Kate had on Johnny Vong and what he had said. Using B5 and his tablet, he whittled down just where this warehouse could be and pressed the gem in his hand.

He decided to take a quick look around first and was rewarded with finding a large panel truck parked at one of the loading dock doors. "Coonan has partners?" He doubted it, but couldn't dismiss the possibility.

He moved to the front of the truck and worked at getting the hood open to see what he had to use. Rick decided to make things simple on himself and pointed his finger at the battery and destroyed the truck's entire electrical system.

He carefully put the hood back down and went over to the loading dock door it was backed up to. There was no way to squeeze through but he didn't hear anything either. Rick decided to risk it and teleported into the back of the truck.

The truck was empty. "Picking up or unloading?" he wondered. That was when he heard voices but not what they were saying. He poked his head out of the truck and into the warehouse. The building wasn't overly large and the main area was empty and wide open. "Picking up then," Rick guessed and finally saw the men who were talking.

It appeared to him that the building was broken up into smaller spaces. The two men looked to be arguing while standing next to a forklift. They both shut up when a large heavy set black man showed up and growled at them.

One of them moved to one of the manual pallet lifters and started moving it while the other guy ran to look for another; the large black man glared at the two of them.

Just as the second guy came back with a motorized pallet lifter, the guy with the manual one was coming out with a pallet filled with boxes and started walking towards Rick and the truck.

Rick retreated to the front section of the truck's cargo area while still inside it and waited. He was only mildly surprised when the guy with the motorized pallet lifter showed up first and drove right inside the truck only to come up short when he spotted Rick and suddenly started smiling.

The other guy showed up and started to force his load into the truck. "What the hell Burt, move your ass or Simmons will have our skins." Then he was suddenly smiling just like his friend.

"Come on you two, into the truck and sit right down. You've been working too hard and deserve a nice nap." Rick helped both of them sit on the floor. He decided to find their wallets later after he dealt with the large black man.

He went back to the rear of the truck and looked out but didn't see anyone. Still he was way on the other side last time he saw him. Rick decided to risk it and teleported to the wall next to the opening.

Peeking inside, he saw box after box stacked on pallet after pallet. He moved into the room and started looking around, searching around each corner and down each aisle.

"Well, well. What do we have here? You look lost and are going to remain lost." Rick heard a voice behind him and cursed internally. He really needed to find a way to work without Alexis. He had gotten soft.

Rick could now hear him walking closer and simply pointed a finger behind his back and slowly turned to see the big black man just standing there smiling. Rick wasted no time and walked up to him and teleported the two of them to a remote location. He left him sitting there and went back for the other two.

He stripped the first two and kept their wallets while he teleported away with their clothes then came back to start work on the big black man. He chose to cut the man's clothes off very carefully and left them as rags next to him. He took his wallet and anything else the man had.

"Enjoy your stay guys, I'm sure you'll love the place." Rick teleported away back to their bedroom where he placed their wallets on the tablet and asked B5 to scan them and generate a summary of who they were.

Rick teleported downstairs where he had stored the explosive devices and smiled when he saw that Kate hadn't yet picked one up and teleported away with one in his hands.

He placed his device right in the center of the boxes and set it for 3 hours. He wanted the time to search the rest of the warehouse. Maybe there was something that would give him some names.

For 2-1/2 hours Rick searched everywhere he could think of and came up empty. "Fine. I'm going home." He pressed the gem in his hand and was back in their bedroom.

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Okay, now she was impressed. Coast Guard Miami was what looked like its own man-made island. Access by car was off of an interstate over the water. Kate ended up along the edge of the dock area. It was essentially a sea wall where she could make out one large cutter along with 6 smaller patrol boats.

"I wonder if that cutter is one of the ones sent to intercept my cargo ship?" She would love to interview the captain of that ship. Maybe she would risk it after she found what she needed.

"Admin. building?" Kate looked around. The place was busy with people walking around all over. Finding the Administration building turned out to not be that hard.

She pulled out her ID card. "Katherine Beckett, assistant to the Attorney General. I'd like to speak with Rear Admiral Korn." Kate prayed he was here and her cover hadn't been blown.

"If you'll wait a moment, please." The receptionist picked up her phone. "The Rear Admiral will be out in a few minutes," Kate was told.

Kate looked around and tried to watch everyone. Especially anyone that was headed her way who looked like armed guards. However she soon saw the Rear Admiral coming towards her.

She had done her research earlier and recognized him. At this point in his career he had been in the Coast Guard for 27 years and had only made Rear Admiral earlier that year. He had only been the district commander for just a few short months if not weeks.

Jake was not expecting the woman he had talked to earlier to be so young, let alone so lovely. What she was wearing only made her lovelier. "Agent Beckett, I wasn't expecting you."

"Thank you for seeing me Admiral," she began and offered her hand. "Please call me Jake. I'm only by the book hard ass when it comes to my men and women under my command." And Jake shook her hand. "Jake. I'm Kate. I wanted to talk with you about a cargo ship that should have been stopped by your men and women when it crossed the 12 mile limit."

"Yes, that ship. Please come with me." He lead her to his office. "That ship was a very interesting encounter." Jake offered Kate a chair then sat behind his desk.

"Was the ship not intercepted?" she asked knowing full well that it was.

"Indeed it was. I take drug smuggling very seriously. Especially if it's cargo containers holding serveral tons of heroin. I had two cutters intercept it just inside our 12 mile limit along with two dolphins. I even had two high speed patrol boats on standby in case anyone tried to make a run for it," Jake told her.

"And what happened?" she asked. "The cutters stopped the cargo ship and boarded it as ordered. They were just getting ready to transfer the drug dogs with their handlers off of the dolphins to start a search when I was ordered to release the ship," he was forced to admit.

"Release it!" Kate tried to sound surprised and just a little mad. "You let 2 containers filled with hundreds of kilos of heroin to enter our port and country?" Now Kate tried to sound angry with him.

"I had my orders," he told her. "And who gave you orders that countered what the Attorney General ordered you to do?" She was dying to hear this. Just who had enough pull to counter anything from Janet Reno?

Jake opened a drawer and she already had her finger pointing at him from where she was sitting. However what he came out with was a piece of paper. "I received a fax actually." He handed it over to Kate who started reading while using her finger to scan it like she was using her finger while reading.

Kate's eyes opened wide. "Seriously!?" She hadn't been expecting this name.

 **George John Tenet.**


	45. Chapter 45

**CH45**

I'm driving over the river and through the woods and this will be the last update till Tuesday. And no it's not my grandmother's house.

Rick finally read Kate the riot act and put her in her place. She had it coming. Still he let her off the hook too easily. The writers should have put more time into it and why the hell is Kate listening to Vikram anyway? I'm still thinking he is Locksat.

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"I don't suppose you could shed some light on this?" Jake asked her. "It's not every day you get something like this."

"I wish I could Admiral. Sorry, …Jake. I'm going to have to explain this to someone myself." She hinted at Janet Reno, however she actually meant B5 and Rick.

Kate stood up and leaned across his desk to hand him back the fax. As she did she placed a single finger on his closed laptop. She didn't see any other computer in his office. "Is there a chance I could speak with who found this fax and gave it to you?" she inquired, trying to buy B5 some time while she kept her finger on his laptop.

"It could have been anyone of my staff. It would have been given to my secretary before being passed on to me." Jake, however, picked up his phone. "Gina can you come in here for a minute?"

Kate tried to keep her face neutral. GINA! REALLY!? In walked in a short, dark-haired woman whom Kate thought was very lovely. Kate noticed that she didn't have a wedding ring, which to Kate was a little surprising. She was lovely if not a little short, say around 5'-2" tall. Her chest size alone would get the attention of most men.

"Gina, this is Ms. Beckett with the Attorney General's office. Can you explain where this fax came from?" Jake asked her.

"Of course sir. Sergeant Howard handed it to me after getting it off fax machine. I watched him do it. After I read it, I deemed it was important enough for your immediate attention sir," Gina explained. "Personally I was a little surprised that he would send the order via fax instead of on a secure line. I even called on a secure line to verify the fax before passing it on," she stated.

"May I ask who you talked with to verify this order?" Kate asked.

"Of course. His name was Travon McMillan. He had the necessary codes to verify that he was an assistant to Mr. Tenant," Gina told Kate.

"Thank you Gina. That will be all." Jake decided that was all Kate needed to know.

"Of course sir, happy to help. "Oh, don't forget I'm off all of next week," she reminded him.

"I haven't forgotten. We'll see you and Lisa at the wedding. Have a pleasant honeymoon." Jake smiled at her. Gina exited his office.

"Lisa is a divorce lawyer, a pretty good one I'm told. They met when one of Gina's friend's was going through a divorce and Gina and Lisa met at Gina's apartment to get away from her friend's soon-to-be ex.

After they met, one thing lead to another and they became a couple. I know the military frowns on gay or lesbian couples but Gina is really good at her job and the higher powers will get rid of her over my dead body. My wife even likes the two of them.

They're actually sickeningly sweet together," Jake mentioned. "I heard that sir." Gina's voice came through the still open door, causing Jake to start laughing with Kate smiling widely.

"One last question. Did the ship actually dock at the Port of Miami?" If it didn't stop she didn't have a reason to go there and search for her container.

"Gina?" Jake called through the door. "Already ahead of you sir." She walked in and gave him a piece of paper. "I believe this is yours, Kate." Jake handed it to her.

It had everything she needed. She just had to hope her container was already off the ship but hadn't left the dock area yet. "Thank you for your time; I have some calls to make," Kate told them, meaning question B5.

"I hope your wedding is everything you dreamed. Mine was lovely." Kate held up her hand to show off the ring Rick got her.

Gina held Kate's hand to get a good look at it. "Wow, I couldn't afford anything like this on my salary. Still they say that it's the thought that counts." She was just a little jealous of their guest.

"If you chose it with your heart I'm sure she'll love it no matter what size it is," she said, which had Gina running for her desk only to return seconds later. "Here, Lisa and I don't really have that many friends. Most of mine are based here and most of hers are lawyers. Bring your husband, or not. Just do as you please." Gina was suddenly bashful about asking someone she had just met to her wedding.

"I'll speak with my husband and see if we're free. It'll be fun to watch someone else's wedding." Kate was actually considering going.

 _Lisa Baird and Gina Williams cordially invite you to their presentation of love and commitment to each other. A reception will follow with DJ. Please RSVP._

"Oh, the reception is part pot luck, not that you or anyone else is obligated to bring anything," Gina told her.

"I think I know just the thing to bring. I have a friend who owns what is fast becoming a 5 star restaurant. She has a desert chief that makes this amazing variation on strawberry shortcake. It's to die for." Kate might even bring Maddie if Rick was busy. She was supposed to bring enough for everyone tonight in fact.

"Sounds nice actually. Our theme is the love of nature so dress accordingly. …I have work to do, it was nice meeting you," Gina said and hurried back to her desk.

"I think I see why you like her," Kate mentioned as she said her goodbyes and found a place to teleport to their bedroom.

She placed her finger on their tablet and downloaded everything that was on the Rear Admiral's laptop. That was followed by the fax. "What can you tell me about the fax B5?" she asked.

"It was sent from a fax machine that is located in Langley, Virginia. The signature is not a wet signature, however, it does not appear to be a forgery," B5 explained. "Great. So we really are looking for someone in the CIA office that has access to the director of CIA's signature. PERFECT!" She sat down on the bed.

Next came the paper about where the ship docked in Miami. "I want that container B5. Where did the ship dock exactly?" Kate asked and began studying the map of the area that B5 gave her.

"Oh, and find out everything you can on one Trevon McMillan. Supposedly he works with the CIA and is in the Langley office," she requested and got up off of the bed then went out into the hallway.

"ALEXIS?" Kate yelled. It was time to go find her container and get rid of the damn thing. "ALEXIS!" she hollered again, knowing that she was likely still with her mother.

Alexis came bounding into view after running up the stairs.

"Meow." _You yelled_ _M_ _om?_

"We're headed for the Port of Miami. We're going to find my container and burn the inside of it to ash," Kate explained as she picked up Alexis, stepped back into their bedroom, and closed the door.

They arrived at the pier listed on the paper. She put Alexis down and looked to see if her ship was still docked there. "Keep your eyes and ears open Alexis, we have a container to find." She began walking.

"Meow." _Count on it_ _M_ _om._

"How are you and my mother getting along?" Kate questioned as she approached an area that had activity.

"Meow. Meow. " _Your mother talks a lot. She just doesn't talk with her heart much._ " Alexis didn't know how she was going to fix that.

"Mom is a lawyer. She thinks with her head most of the time and that's who she is." Kate countered defending her mother.

"Meow." _She needs to learn._

"Are you trying to get her to understand you?" She stopped and looked down at Alexis. "You understand that if you succeed Mom is going to have millions of new questions. Questions Rick and I can't answer and neither can you. Unless you want to risk being taken from us and ending up on some alien planet lord knows where," Kate cautioned her.

"Meow." _I know, but she's your mother._

"Keep in mind, sweetie, that if you use the method you used on me, my mother is going to see your…form while hooked up to machines in a hospital room," she warned her.

Kate noticed that Alexis remained silent after that so she started walking closer to the activity.

It took some work and a couple of teleportations to get close enough to read the ship's name. "That's my ship and it's still being unloaded," Kate said to herself.

She stayed where she was and watched where they took the containers. They were dropped on a flatbed trailer and got hauled away by this little white "truck." She teleported with Alexis in her arms to where the "truck" went and watched it be unloaded by yet another crane and stacked in the area.

"Too many people," she commented and didn't like the view that the crane operator had either. She looked at her watch. "It's an hour till lunch." She really wanted that sandwich but she wanted her container more, so she stayed and watched till all activity stopped.

"Lunch I'm guessing," she observed. "Let's go Alexis. Keep your eyes and ears open." Kate started walking and pointed her finger at every container she could find.

She was beginning to wonder if there were other containers filled with heroin at all or if her container was even off the ship in the first place when her finger started pulsing. "Found you." She started smiling widely. "Keep watch sweetie," Kate asked Alexis.

"Meow." _Got it_ _M_ _om._

"Locked again naturally." She couldn't help but notice the big lock on the handles which with a point of her finger is soon gone. Kate cringed as the door squealed with a metal on metal screech as she opened it until she pointed her finger at the hinges.

She sighed as she saw what looked like a wall of cartons. "Here we go again." This time she removed boxes on one end for the first layer and then started pushing the second layer into the container til she could see packing tape.

Kate climbed over the boxes and was standing in front of kilos of heroin packed in tightly, pallet on top of pallet. "I hate this guy whomever he is. …Keep watch Alexis. I'll be right back," she called and pressed the gem in her hand.

She picked up one of Rick's devices and found one was already missing. "DAMN, he's out in front of me. I want that sandwich." She teleported right back to where she had been, pressed the button for one hour, placed it between two bundles as best she could, then teleported back outside.

"Meow." _All clear_ _M_ _om._

She picked up Alexis. "We're going to watch this thing burn just to make sure it's all destroyed." She teleported to the highest stack of containers she could find and sat down on the edge with her feet dangling over the side as she waited. Alexis, however, remained on guard and wandered around looking everywhere while Kate watched her container.

Over an hour later Kate was watching as the fire department showed up with two engines and worked at putting out the fire with water at first. It took another 30 minutes before a different fire truck showed up and pumped foam into the container.

She was satisfied that one full hour of fire inside the container would have gotten rid of any useful amounts of heroin. And if the authorities searched and found heroin, they couldn't explain _that_ away. "Let's go home Alexis, I have a sandwich waiting for me." She picked up Alexis and pressed the gem in her hand.

She opened the door to their bedroom and watched Alexis bound off, no doubt in search of her grandmother. The bedroom door across the way was open so she stuck her head in. "Dad?" Jim was in the seating area reading.

"Katie!?" Jim put his book down. "Your mother has taken over the dining room table. I think she searched Rick's office to find all the paper she has," he cautioned for when Kate saw it all.

"That's fine Dad, there aren't any secrets in Rick's office." She sat down next to him. "I know Mom has her questions, but how are you doing?"

"I'll admit I'm not sure just what to do since I'm off work. I don't know how you did it but I called my boss and he told me I have the next 2 weeks off with no problem. I don't suppose you could explain how you managed that?" Jim was curious too, just not as dedicated to getting his answers as his wife was.

Kate shook her head. "Sorry Dad." She felt bad about it, but it was just the way things were. "And these people really would send you somewhere where we would never hear from you again?" He was still having trouble with that. The planet was big and the internet was huge and getting bigger and cell phones were getting smaller and better.

"Sorry Dad, but yeah, they really would. I might not even get to see Rick or Alexis ever again. I'm sorry, but I can't risk that." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll try and help you with your mother as best I can. Maybe someday you'll explain it to us. But I am glad to see you back honey. Those 5 years were hell for all of us. You still don't remember any of that time?" Jim was praying that she never did. Kate shook her head. "Nothing so far. I'm hoping that that is a good thing. I just wish I could remember more about you and Mom." She hated that part. How did one forget their own parents?

"We're here now honey and we love you. And we're happy for you, truly." Jim took one of her hands in his. "Thanks Dad, I really am happy." She smiled at him.

"I'm going to go find lunch, you might want to come down soon. We do have a theater room where you can watch movies," Kate reminded him. "I saw it, it looked complicated to operate." He was a little intimidated by the complexity of the system these two had.

"I'll show you how to use it after lunch Dad. We wouldn't want you to get bored. Unless you want to help Mom?" Kate teased.

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Rick walked into the kitchen past Johanna who had one of their tablets and was making notes from whatever she was reading. "Having fun?" he asked as he dropped the box on the island counter.

"I don't know how you two got all this information, but this is impressive. I suppose you can't explain how that came to be?" Johanna knew the answer was coming, but maybe she would get lucky.

"Lunch?" he inquired, answering her question by changing the subject. "What are we having?" Johanna queried.

"Kate was craving a real Philly cheesesteak so I bought some," Rick told her as he took the receipt out of the box and stuffed it into one of his pockets. He really didn't want to explain how he had real Philly cheesesteaks made and bought in Philadelphia.

 _McNally's, of course, is famous for its signature sandwich, the Schmitter®, which is a variation of Philadelphia's famous cheesesteak sandwich. The Schmitter® includes the traditional grilled steak, fried onions, and melted cheese but adds grilled salami, grilled tomatoes, and a special sauce and comes on a toasted Kaiser roll instead of a long hoagie roll._

Rick began unloading his box as Johanna took one of the sandwiches along with a bag of chips and sat down again at the dining room table just as Alexis came bounding into the dining room and easily jumped onto the dining room table.

"I suppose you want part of my sandwich too?" Johanna asked looking at Alexis who was standing there watching her.

"Meow?" _Please_ _G_ _rams?_

"No, Alexis! You cannot have part of her sandwich, you know better," Rick chastised her and they both watched as Alexis sat down, dejected. "She said something like 'yes please' didn't she?" Johanna questioned, still not understanding what Alexis said.

"Pretty much, yeah," he agreed. "Hi babe, what's in the box?" Kate walked in with Jim right behind her. "I bought everyone a Philly cheesesteak just like you were craving." Rick explained smiling.

Kate dove into the box and came out with a sandwich in a wrapper and a bag of chips. "Cravings?" Jim asked as he came to a stop and stared at her, getting Johanna's attention now.

Kate looked around at everyone. Just what had she or Rick said? So she re-played it in her head. "NO, not that kind of craving. At least not yet." She was loving the smell of the sandwiches.

Rick started handing out water to everyone. "This doesn't look like a real Philly cheesesteak babe." It didn't look right to her. "It's a Schmitter just like the ones they make at McNally's in Chestnut Hill," he explained. "They're supposed to be _frighteningly delicious._ " Kate gave him a look of " _T_ _hat's where you really got these isn't it?_ "

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Johanna and all of her papers had been kicked out of the dining room since Kate had set the dining room table for six for dinner tonight. Rick was busy cooking with a little bit of help from Kate. Johanna meanwhile had retreated to Rick's office while Jim was in the theater room watching a movie after Kate had shown him how to use it.

They still had his tablet for access to B5 without having her show up on the dining room wall.

"I might have a lead on our CIA guy," Kate said quietly while they were cooking together. "Excellent!" Rick kissed her cheek. "How did finding your container go?" he inquired. "That one's toast, I watched it burn. How about Coonan's warehouse?" she asked in return. "That one's toast, too. There was someone in charge there along with two others. They were unloading the warehouse into a panel truck," he informed her.

"Stealing maybe or collecting for distribution?" she questioned. He turned to look at where B5 was located and sighed. They couldn't risk having her parents show up at a bad time. "I'll get your tablet." Kate passed his arm and went up the stairs to their room and then came back down.

"B5 active remote," she said. "B5 active," was the reply. "Tell us about the big black man who looked to be in charge," he asked.

"His name is Vulcan Simmons. He is believed to be in complete control over all of the drug trafficking in the Washington Heights area. In his early years he was stupid and was caught constantly. However, over the last 10 to 12 years he has proven to be untouchable," B5 informed them.

"Distribution then," Kate offered. "So where did you take them?" She knew they still had a few remote abandoned locations, but at the rate they were collecting people that wouldn't last long. Plus they still had to talk about what to do with them. If they just left them there, they would likely die. No food, no water, with lots of sun and high heat in most locations.

"I dropped them in Nambia. It's nice and large and I spread them out far and wide. They're on their own," Rick told her. "Uh oh." Kate slapped a hand over her mouth, she hadn't meant to say that. He stopped cooking and looked at her questioningly.

"I, ah, dropped off the guy who killed the assistant director of the local FBI field office there," she revealed. "Okay, so?" He didn't see the problem. "Please don't be mad." She scrunched up her face and started looking guilty. "Kate?" Rick questioned.

"Well, there was a woman who was at our front door while we were both gone a few days ago. I went to her hotel and picked her up and dropped her off there as well." She gave Rick her best "please don't be mad" look.

"I gave her an entire case of water and her suitcase." She offered a bright spot. Rick just stared at her waiting for her to tell him who this person was.

"I hate her Rick, she had it coming and I don't know why she was at our front door." She tried to stand up straight and defend herself. "Who!?" Rick demanded becoming concerned.

She chickened out. "B5?" Kate wanted B5 to tell him. Maybe then he wouldn't be as mad if she told him.

"The lady in question is Alexis's birth mother, Meredith Lee," B5 informed him doing as Kate silently asked her.


	46. Chapter 46

**CH46**

More bad news I'm sorry to say. I just got back from Thanksgiving with family in Atlanta and now we are all going to be in Walt Disney World for a week. Because of this, this will be the only update for another week. I'll be too busy having fun and screaming like a child to think about Caskett.

You'll survive.

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Rick really wasn't sure that he heard her correctly. "Say that again." He needed to hear it once more.

"She hurt Alexis, babe. She gave birth to her and then just dumped her and left her. I love Alexis. Cat, tiger, or child for an hour, I love her so much. I've already told Alexis and I'll tell you: I wish I was her real mother and even if I did have the marker, I would _never_ have left her. Never." Kate tried to show Rick her best "please don't be mad" face.

"Meredith was here?" He tried it on for size. "How the hell did she even find me in the first place? I haven't seen her since just after Alexis was diagnosed." Rick's mouth was open, he wasn't sure just what to say or even think. "She was really here?" He tried again and watched Kate nod. "Please don't be mad," she begged.

"Nambia with a case of water and her suitcase?" His mind had slowed way down and wasn't thinking very well. "Did she say anything at all?"

"I didn't give her a chance actually. I took her by surprise and dumped her in Nambia. The guy who killed the FBI assistant director is naked with a useless knee on the other side of town," Kate explained.

"We're going to need to figure out what to do with all of those people." Rick changed the subject a little since dealing with Meredith wasn't something he wanted to do right now.

They were both saved when Alexis came bounding into the kitchen and jumped up onto the island counter. It was their hint that Johanna and/or Jim were right behind her. "Maybe Alexis hanging out with my mother isn't such a bad thing after all." Alexis didn't allow her mother to snoop on anything they said.

"I smell cooking. Do you need any help?" Johanna walked into the kitchen to take a quick peek. "Yes, you can eat it," Rick replied while smiling. It earned him a light swat to his arm, causing him to chuckle.

"Where's Jim?" Johanna had been so buried in the tablet she didn't know where he was. "Dad was in the theater room watching a movie the last time I saw him. You can use the panel on the wall over there to call him. Think of it as an intercom, just press the right button or press the other button for an all call," Kate explained.

Johanna had just reached the panel when the front doorbell rang. "That's probably Maddie and Kyle. I'll take the front door if you find dad." She walked past Johanna, headed for the door. Kate used the panel at the front door to see Maddie and a strange man next to her. "He's cute," she approved, and opened the front door. "Maddie!" Kate was all set to hug her until she noticed that each of them was carrying a bag so she stopped short.

"Come in, come in." Kate got out of the way and let them in. She got them past the foyer and closed the second door and locked it. "Give me that." She took the bag from Maddie, placed it on the entry table, then hugged Madison tightly.

"It's good to see you Maddie, this is going to be so much fun. …You must be Kyle." Kate offered her hand to him which he shook. "Prepare to be interrogated, my mother is here." Not that Kate wasn't going to ask him questions. However she was going to interrogate Madison while her mother and father worked over Kyle.

"So Madison warned me. Bring it on, I'm not afraid," Kyle responded with a grin which earned him a quick kiss on his cheek from Madison. "Come on. Mom is looking for dad and Rick is cooking." Kate picked up the bag Madison had brought and led them into the kitchen.

"It smells good Rick." Madison was liking it so far. "Hi Madison." He hugged her.

"Rick, this is Kyle. Kyle, this is Rick, Kate's husband." Madison made the introductions. "It's a pleasure. I wish I could say I've read your books but I don't usually have time to read anyone's books. …Oh, we brought desert. These things are to die for," Kyle raved.

Kate put all six of the deserts in the refrigerator for later. "Wine, beer, water, juice? I think we have some tequila around here somewhere, too," she offered.

"Beer is fine thanks." Kyle placed his order while Madison opted for wine as did Kate. They were all sitting at the dining room table except for Rick when Johanna and Jim entered and introductions were made all over again. Jim took a beer and handed one to Rick when he asked for one while Johanna joined the girls with a glass of wine. Kyle seized the moment to escape from the girls and joined the guys in the kitchen which was only a few feet away.

"You must like him Maddie if you are willing to subject him to us," Kate whispered. "He's nice Becks and he works too hard," Madison quietly pointed out. "Like someone else I know?" Kate countered. "And I liked that phone call," she teased. Madison almost spat out her wine.

"Meow." _What phone call?_

"I don't need to speak cat to know what Alexis asked. Spill Madison," Johanna said, adding her two cents.

Madison took a moment to look at the three of them and squeezed her eyes closed. "Kyle spent the night and I woke up to an unexpected...encounter and then Becks called," Madison caved.

"So you do like him?" Johanna took over the digging into Madison's love life. Madison started blushing. "Yeah, he's nice and he has a job." Madison smiled.

"And you Becks, what kind of job are looking for?" Madison changed the subject.

"Actually I have a plan for a job. I just need to find office space to open it in." Kate was happy Rick was so supportive of her plan. "Well, don't leave us hanging Becks." Madison wanted to hear about it and by the look on Johanna's face so did her mother.

"I'm thinking of opening an office that specializes in finding lost women. Women who either have run away from their hopefully loving family or have been taken by someone and sold to someone against their will," she told them. "I'm going to be a detective of sorts with a specialty."

"Like you." Madison got it. "No one should have to go through what I did. That person stole 5 years of my life just so he could… He had me so out of it with so many drugs. He turned me into a plastic sex doll and I wouldn't wish that on anyone," Kate said, feeling sad again over what she had lost. Her life was so much better now but she wasn't ever going to get those 5 years back.

"Well, I love the idea," Johanna stated and reached across to hug her daughter. "And if you need help finding office space just let me know," Johanna added.

"Actually I know someone who can help you with that. Kyle, sweetie can you join us for a moment," Madison called. Kyle walked over next to her and dropped a kiss on her head. "What's up?" He put his bottle of beer down on the dining room table.

"Becks needs to find a centralized office space to set up her business that she's starting," Madison told him. "Really? It just so happens that Mayor Weldon and I have been searching for office space for a new city task force and I know where all the good ones are located. Tell me how big you want. Ground floor or penthouse? With or without a doorman to get into the building? Brand new modern looking or old world looking with character? Modern elevator or an ancient elevator that still has those metal gates that you slide closed? I might even be able to get a good deal on a lease for you." He did know the mayor after all.

"That would be great! I accept." Kate couldn't believe her luck. "Come by Madison's apartment this time next week and I'll have every location I know of waiting for you. The three of us should be able to narrow it down to a few for you go see," Kyle offered. "I'll be there." Kate was so happy.

"Meow." _It better be cat friendly._

"I'll make sure the place accepts cats Alexis," Kate replied without thinking.

"Thanks sweetie." Madison thanked Kyle for helping her best friend and accepted the kiss he bent down to give her before going back to the guys.

"Okay Becks, I want to know how you understand each and every meow that cat makes, and I'm not leaving tonight until you explain it. Even if I have to spend the night here. And the next and the next and the next one after that," Madison said determinedly.

Kate had a pained look on her face. Just how much fence could they dance on before Key showed up and told them they were going to be relocated? She was concerned enough to get up and walk over to Rick. Everyone watched her drag him out of the room.

"What's going on?" Jim asked. "I think Madison just put pressure on Katie and Rick and Katie need to talk," Johanna responded.

"Pressure, what pressure? Alexis is just a cat. Those two talk to her like she understands every word they say and they understand every meow she makes." Madison nodded at Alexis who was still sitting on the dining room table.

"Madison…" Suddenly Johanna understood just how much pressure she was putting on Rick and Katie by asking all of her questions. The last thing she wanted to do was lose her daughter again. "Excuse me," Johanna said as she got up and strode quickly out of the room in search of Rick and Katie.

"What do we do babe? I hate keeping secrets but the alternative will be devastating to all of us," Kate was saying just as Johanna found them. "Then don't tell us anything Katie," Johanna intruded on their conversation. "I'm sorry I've put so much pressure on you with my stubborn attitude for answers. It's in my nature. I don't want you to do something that would take you away from your family. Please accept my apology. I'll try to keep my questions to myself from now on," Johanna vowed.

"We know you have questions Johanna. I'm sure we would too if our roles were reversed. While we can answer a few of them, there are a lot of them that we can't answer. Or maybe more precisely, won't answer," Rick replied.

"I'm sorry Mom, but the possibility of any of us not seeing the other is all too real. We're probably already standing on the precipice and leaning the wrong way as it is." Kate knew B5 hadn't said anything yet so hopefully they were in the clear for now.

"Or they, whomever they are, will take you away and possibly separate you. It's just that this is the 21st Century. It's hard to stay out of touch forever." Johanna had a problem with that. Even if Kate ended up in China and Rick in Australia they could still send emails or texts or even talk to each other. Kate took Johanna's hands in hers. "Trust me Mom, it _is_ possible. Try not to blow a blood vessel over not understanding. Rick, Alexis, and I might end up in the same place, but it's possible that we wouldn't. You may want answers and I'd love to give them to you, but I'm not losing my family to give you answers." Kate absolutely was not risking them.

"I'll try and shut-up Katie. I can't promise to not ask from time to time because I probably will. I don't want you to lose what you have found either honey," Johanna told her.

They were soon back in the dining room and found Madison in the kitchen watching over what Rick had been cooking. "OUT, out with you! A good cook never leaves his stove with food cooking on it. Now let the real chief take over." Madison pushed Rick out of his own kitchen.

He sat down at the dining room table, dejected. "Don't take it too personally. Maddie just has a passion for food and if you're going to screw it up you shouldn't be cooking at all." Kyle tried to comfort Rick who looked upset.

"It sounds like you speak from experience," Kate said. "I, ah, invited Maddie over for a date so I could show her that I could cook. I ended up banished to my own living room," Kyle explained. "He was burning it," Madison defended herself. "I was not burning it. I was searing it just like the recipe told me to," Kyle countered. "Then why was it black all over with the smoke alarm going off?" Madison fired back.

Kyle remained silent while everyone else chuckled at his expense. "Which reminds me, we were invited to a wedding next week and I offered to bring a few of Madison's deserts. Their reception is part pot luck," Kate mentioned. "Who's wedding?" Rick inquired since that was the first he heard of it. "I'll tell you later," she replied which was code for "present company shouldn't know how."

"Should we be going?" he asked. "I got the impression that almost all of the guests were going to be fellow workers and not many real friends," Kate answered. She was actually thinking of going since Gina's wedding sounded suspiciously a lot like her own.

"How many can you make Madison?" Rick asked as Kate reached for his hand and squeezed it. "A wedding huh?" Madison had to think about it. "Twenty maybe, thirty if I can also give you a hundred of my cards and place them next to the deserts." Madison was not beyond gaining a little word of mouth for her restaurant.

"DEAL!" Kate was happy to comply. "Just tell me when to be ready and come and get them," Madison told her.

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Kate was sliding in next to Rick cursing and happy that she hadn't had her period yet. "What did you think?" she asked. "About being kicked out of my own kitchen? About forced to let Madison cook the dinner we invited her over for? Or the wedding that we're going to that I knew nothing about?" he questioned while teasing her. It earned him a swat. "About Kyle," she clarified. "OH, him." Rick caught her hand before she hit him and kissed it. "He's a nice guy and Madison may have actually found someone, and if your comment about that phone call means what I think it does, she likes him a lot and he, her," Rick replied squeezing Kate a little closer.

"I have the warehouse(s) in Turkey tomorrow while you have to find the local container." Kate guessed, changing the subject. "Actually I'm thinking of paying a visit to Simmons' house to see if I can get a lead. Those drugs were going somewhere and maybe he has books hidden there that might help us. First I need to do some more shopping," he said.

"Is the refrigerator empty?" Having her parents there made them go through food faster. "That too, but I was thinking of making more of those devices. If all of those buildings you are headed to are filled, they need to go more than anything local." Kate turned and looked at him questioningly.

"Don't get me wrong, the local container has to go. But in the bigger scheme of things those warehouses, if they are full, are another 3 containers or more. It's simple math." Rick defended himself.

Kate settled back down. "That container got away from me Rick, I want it gone." If they didn't catch it again people were going to get hurt with those drugs.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but we have a mission to complete. Getting rid of these drugs is really just something we are doing on the side." He wanted her back on track with the mission.

"And when we save the planet only to find out half of it is hooked on heroin?" she countered, knowing that she was exaggerating, but that wasn't her point.

"We'll get the drugs Kate, have a little faith. But the mission comes first. It has to. I'm sure Key made that clear during your training," he reminded her. She simply snuggled in and kissed his exposed skin. He was right, Key had told her that several times.

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Kate had to wait til it was noon local time before it was dark enough in Turkey, so she volunteered to go with Rick this morning after he went grocery shopping. "After I go shopping for more supplies to make the devices we need, we'll talk," he promised. She put away all the groceries while he went out shopping again.

"Hi Mom." Kate saw her mother walk in and plop down on a dining room chair. "What's wrong?" She kept working on the groceries, just at a slower pace.

"I don't know how you two got so much information but I never imagined my case would lead to this." Johanna wasn't even done reading yet. "It is rather complex isn't it." Kate had to admit there were a lot of people involved.

"Complex is an understatement. Dirty cops led to a mob enforcer with an undercover FBI agent who was killed and then the enforcer was sacrificed to cover up what the dirty cops were doing. It's just that none of them are overly rich, so who got all the money from what they were doing? And then heroin enters on a scale that makes the Mexican cartels look like amatures. Just how many people are there that are hooked on heroin or want to be?" Johanna shook her head.

"Poppy fields are everywhere Mom. You wouldn't believe how many countries are exporters with or without the consent of the local government. Though most of them know," Kate pointed out as she put 9 New York Strip steaks in the refrigerator.

"Are we expecting more company?" Johanna saw the steaks. "The steaks? When Alexis is a tiger she eats a lot more than a house cat does. She's taken a liking to meat when she is. Good steaks are actually Rick's idea, not that she isn't worth it," Kate answered. "Where is Alexis? She didn't come with you."

"Actually I don't know. She's been sticking to me like glue lately, but not for the last couple of hours," Johanna replied. "I may have an idea where she is then." Kate put away the last of the groceries.

"Care to share with your mother?" Johanna asked. "She's most likely down in the pool cooling off," Kate replied over her shoulder as she walked to the stairs.

"A cat who likes water?" Johanna called out after Kate who was already gone. "That does it, I'm learning cat so help me."

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Rick found Kate coming out of their closet dressed for a visit to Simmons' listed address. "Are you about ready?" he asked. "Did you find what you needed?" she countered. "It's all downstairs, I just need to time to assemble them," he remarked.

He took her hand and pressed the gem in his hand. "His apartment is across the street, way up there." Rick pointed to the penthouse on top of the building. "There are likely security cameras then," Kate pointed out. Rick nodded in agreement. "He does have a patio so we can start there and kill the security system from the inside. No one will ever see us going up there," he replied.

Rick pressed the gem in his hand and they found themselves outside on Simmons' patio where there was an outdoor table and a large grill. They walked the perimeter as best they could before unlocking the door and killing the security connection.

Finding the security control panel took no time at all and only a quick finger point to disable everything. "Scan everything, please. Unless he was hooked, it's not likely there's any product here. We just need his books," he said. "If he was smart they may not even be here or at the very least, they're hidden away," she pointed out. "Then let's hope he thought no one would make it this far. I'll take the bedrooms and bathrooms," he offered, leaving her with living room, dining room, and kitchen.

Since Kate was in the living room she started where she was. Rick was still in the first bedroom. "BABE!" she called. Rick hurried to join her in the living room. She was on her knees in front of a safe. "It was behind a hidden wooden panel. I'm thinking it's bolted to the floor." Kate looked up at him smiling. "Let's see what he thought needed to be locked away," Rick said.

She pointed her finger at it, turned the handle and pulled the door open, only to have an alarm go off. "A secondary alarm, wonderful. Keep your eyes open for a dye pack too." Rick warned, not really worried about the police showing up before they could leave.

"I'll start cleaning the place of any finger prints," he told her and began walking around the apartment pointing his finger.

"We need to go babe," Kate called, her hands full. Rick took hold of her arm and pressed the gem in his hand.

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"What have we got?" he asked as she dumped it all on their bed.

$120,000 in hundred dollar bills.

A key that looked like it fit a safe deposit box.

Two sets of ledger books.

A wooden case, that when opened, revealed to old world flintlocks.

Rick whistled as he picked one up. "I was thinking he would have something more modern. A machine pistol or something, not these." He was impressed.

They both knew they couldn't keep them. They knew the rules. No weapons can be used, even if they are taken from the enemy. Kate held up the tablet. "B5 activate remote," Kate said. "B5 active," the AI responded. Rick placed the weapon he had in his hand on the tablet. "Scan and report."

"These weapons are known to once be owned by Simon Bolivar.

Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad Bolivar y Palacios Ponte y Blanco, historians will call him one of the most important figures in world history. As a military leader and politician who shepherded Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Bolivia's independence from the Spanish Empire, he's — in a sense — a founding father of Hispanic America. He also served as president of all those modern day countries, including parts of Peru, Guyana and Brazil, in the early-1800s megastate of Gran Colombia.

While Bolivar ultimately died rather _un_ brazenly of tuberculosis, he was a revolutionary on the frontlines of civil war and political restructuring, under perpetual risk of assassination, and strapped at all times.

This pair of flintlock pistols no doubt has the blood of Spanish viceroys on them," B5 explained. "Their potential worth is around $2 million," B5 added. "According to records I can find, they have not been reported stolen."

"We need to figure what to do with these babe," she mentioned. Rick put it back in its case and closed it.

He handed her a book while he took the other. "You scan that one while I do this one. Hopefully there's something in here we can use." He opened his as she did with hers. They both pointed a finger at each and every page starting with their book's cover and ending with the back cover.


	47. Chapter 47

**CH47**

"I have completed my review of the name Travon McMillan that you requested. I have no one listed as being employed by the CIA using that name," B5 informed them.

Kate sighed heavily, she really thought they had a lead on him. "It's probably an alias and not his real name." He was afraid of that. "You think the director of the CIA is involved in this?" she questioned. Rick thought about it again for a moment. "Not likely no. I'll bet he doesn't even know that ship was released using his name," he admitted. "However it does mean our guy has access to his paperwork or some method of obtaining samples," he said positively.

"He's going to be difficult to find," she remarked thoughtfully. "Perhaps but maybe not. If he has a hand in the drugs coming from Turkey, maybe he will tip his hand after he loses one of his production sites…," he paused. She finished for him, "...and his warehouses. I need to scan the containers at the closest shipping port too," she added.

"I knew I could get you to like dock work," he teased which caused her to stick her tongue out at him. "How do you feel?" he changed the subject. "I feel fine, why?" He needed her and they were partners. "Not nauseous or anything?" he clarified. It still didn't ring a bell with her. They hadn't even had lunch yet. "Oh, morning sickness? …No I feel fine, unfortunately."

"I need to find that local cargo container. Let's hope all they did was close it, lock it, and move it to another area of the port, or it's going to be harder to find," he told her. "By the way, I'm taking Alexis." Rick left their new found treasures behind on their bed.

"And me, you're taking me with you! We can cover more ground this way. …I want that container, Rick," she said to him, since he couldn't really stop her. "Fine, let me change while you find Alexis and we can go," he told her. Getting Alexis to show up was easy and seconds later they were gone.

"You take those two aisles and I'll take these two." Rick pointed indicating which aisles were his. "Up Alexis," he told her and assumed his position. Kate watched Alexis the cat leap into Rick's waiting hands then he launched her into the air. Just before Alexis landed, she transformed into a tiger.

"That's new, I'm going to have to remember that," Kate mentioned and started walking to her rows of containers. She began pointing her finger while she walked, not seeing that Alexis wasn't too far away. Rick, meanwhile, was doing the same.

Neither of them found a thing and switched to the next rows of containers farther out. She had only just started when her finger started pulsing. "ALEXIS! Find Rick," she called and went to work on the lock on the door.

Kate was already throwing boxes by the time Rick and Alexis showed up. "Keep watch Alexis," he asked her glad to have her watching his back again.

"Growl." _On it_ _D_ _ad._ And Alexis trotted off to look around.

He took the boxes from Kate and threw them til she stopped. "It's all still here, babe." She couldn't be happier. "I'm going to go get your new toy," she told him and disappeared only to come right back seconds later. "I'm going to set it for an hour," she said. She pressed the button and placed it where it would do the most damage, she hoped. "We should stay and watch to make sure it burns." She wanted to make sure that cursed container went up in flames.

"Alexis?" Rick called and they watched her trot up to them.

"Growl." _I saw nothing._

"Back to a cat Alexis. We're going to stay and watch," he told her and they watched Alexis turn back into a cat and leap into Rick's arms. They decided on the highest container to watch the fire.

"Keep your eyes open Alexis," he said as they both sat down to watch. Alexis started wandering around the top of the container. They watched the container with the heroin catch fire. The fire department showed up and was forced to give up when they realized that water only made it worse. When the fire department gave up, Rick and Kate went home.

"There you two are!" Johanna commented when they both entered the kitchen finding her cooking for everyone. "I don't know where you've been but since it was after lunch I decided to start without you." Johanna smiled, ladled out the soup, and pointed to the warmer that had hot sandwiches in it.

"Thanks Mom." It was just what they needed. "What about you Alexis, when do you eat?" Johanna asked her after she jumped up on the island countertop. "Alexis eats breakfast and dinner. Cat or tiger, whichever form she is tells us what to feed her. And people food doesn't sit well with her system for some reason," Kate explained. "I guess that explains the large number of steaks that are still in the refrigerator," Johanna said.

"Meow!" _Steaks, yum!_

"I'm betting that had something to do with liking steaks." Not that Johanna understood a word of it. "You would be right Mom," Kate answered.

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Rick was downstairs putting together more of his explosive toys while Kate was in their closet getting dressed in all black. Once ready, she teleported down to the basement to avoid her parents and their questions. "I feel like I'm sneaking around trying to avoid my parents," she remarked when she joined Rick. "With or without your boyfriend?" he inquired. "Oh with, most definitely with." She ran her hands over his shoulders and kissed his cheek followed by wrapping her arms around him. "Unless you want me to burn our house down, you might want to stop that," he cautioned her as her hands were wandering around on his chest.

Kate let go of him and stepped back. "Right, sorry. I'm going to go grab Alexis and get going. I'll find out how many bombs I need and come back for them. Can you put them in a bag for me?" she asked him and teleported back out to call for Alexis.

"Sure," he replied to the empty space Kate just left.

She arrived right where she had intended but she had been expecting the place to be dark and silent. However, at the moment, one of the buildings was all lit up with 4 people working. No, wait. There were 7 people and they were unloading one of those old flatbed trucks. She needed to see what they were unloading to make sure she was in the right place. The buildings closer to the road were a real industrial place doing real business.

She moved to the dark side of the building, looked down the way, and saw nothing. So with Alexis still in her arms, she pressed the gem in her hand and ended up in the middle of the building, opposite the building where they were unloading the truck.

She looked around and saw that there was actually a door on this side near one end. She walked down to it and put Alexis down. The door was locked so she pointed her finger at it, however the door refused to open. She didn't dare use her flashlight to find out why.

"I guess we wait," she observed and looked out into the open fields that were behind the buildings on this side. "On second thought, they're making noise." She picked up Alexis and teleported to the far side of the buildings on the other side.

This building was made differently and actually had windows on her side. A pointed finger later and the window was open allowing her to look inside. "Damn, it's too dark."Kate decided to risk a quick couple of seconds using her flashlight. It was just long enough to show that the place was packed with pallets that had bags wrapped in plastic. It was sufficient for her to teleport inside with Alexis still in her arms. She put Alexis down, turned on her flashlight pointing it down at the floor. She was able to tell it was filled with stack upon stack of plastic wrapped bags on pallet after pallet. She pulled out a knife and made a cut in a bag. "This looks like the stuff," she commented softly. She pulled out a small zip-lock bag, put some powder inside, and zipped it closed.

"Meow." _All clear_ _M_ _om._

Alexis had looked around and not found anything. She returned to Kate. "That's good." Suddenly Kate had a thought. She had her sample so she picked up Alexis and pressed the gem in her hand.

"Back already?" Rick asked as he just finished one of his toys. "The place is active. They're unloading a flatbed truck into one of the buildings. I brought a sample from the one building I've been in. But I have a question. When you went to the warehouse that we thought was Coonan's, were there any you-know-whats?" she queried. She recalled Alexis coming unglued just because she smelled them on the clothes in his hamper.

"Actually no, I didn't see any," he remarked. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked him. "If by that you mean we found the wrong warehouse and actually found someone else's, then yes I am. Which leaves us with a question," he mused. "Whose warehouse was it that also had heroin inside it?" she finished his thought.

"Hey babe, give this to B5 and see if this is the same stuff. We'll be back." She gave him a quick kiss and pressed the gem in her hand.

She was back where she started and they were still unloading their truck. She put Alexis down and settled down to wait.

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Rick went back up to their bedroom to pick up her pad so he could communicate with B5. "B5 activate remote," he asked. "B5 active," the AI responded. "The Coonan house indicated that he had been near dogs recently, however the warehouse I went to didn't have any dogs in it or around it. Is there any indication that Coonan owns another warehouse?" he inquired.

"Negative," B5 replied. "Does he own any other properties?" He tried again. "Negative." B5 responded. "So where did the damn dogs come from?" What were they missing? "Did he have a girl friend? Does his bank statement give any indication?" He attempted something else. "Negative," B5 answered as Rick sighed. They weren't the answers he wanted to hear.

"Okay, enough Coonan. Does Simmons own any other properties?" He tried another person. "Negative," B5 responded. "I'm beginning to hate that response," he groaned. "Tell me about the books we found," he said hopefully.

"One book lists how much product has been received and how much has been sent out. It also lists each person who receives any product along with an address for the delivery. The amount of money obtained from each delivery is listed as well," B5 told him. "Now we're talking." He was finally happy. "What about the other book?" He was dying to hear about that one.

"It is a separate book detailing the amount of heroin with the amount of money provided to a company called Fast Forward. It has been detailed monthly since 1998," B5 explained.

"Interesting, tell me about Fast Forward," Rick requested. "Fast Forward is a Super PAC that provides money to people it deems worthy to help them in elections. Since its creation it has contributed money to only one person, Junior Senator William H. Bracken," B5 said.

"Senator Bracken, as in our missing Senator that we have information about being involved in all this?" He was surprised. "Show me how much money," he requested and opened his eyes wide when he saw the number.

"That warehouse I was at earlier...I went there because of Coonan not Simmons. But the warehouse was really Bracken's?" He tried to understand what was going on.

"B5, have you finished the scan of the sample I took from the warehouse before I burned it down?" he queried. "Affirmative. The sample provided is related to the previous samples provided and comes from Turkey, however this sample has different qualities to it. It is from a different area than the other samples," B5 explained.

"So this sample came from Turkey but was made somewhere else. What about the sample Kate brought back?" Rick questioned. "It is identical to the sample you obtained from the Coonan warehouse that was not actually his, it would appear," B5 told him.

"The location where Kate's at now could be the warehouse for all of the product made in Turkey that's related to our mission. Some of it's for LokSat. Some of it's for this Senator who is likely Bracken and a percentage of it went to Coonan." He attempted to work it out.

"That warehouse was being emptied. Was it being emptied in preparation for more heroin that was being shipped in? But only one container stayed in New York. It might have filled that side room but never the main warehouse room. They're getting ready for another large shipment and Kate said they were loading a warehouse while she was there." He tried to put it all together.

"She needs to search the closest port area for containers filled with heroin. Or are her eight warehouse buildings holding the product that hasn't reached the port yet?" Rick had questions but not enough answers. "And from that port to here and this warehouse?"

"If this is Bracken's warehouse where is LokSat's warehouse? Maybe our Senator Bracken has that information. I guess I know who is next on my list requiring a visit," he commented.

He sighed heavily. "We still need this LokSat person. His name isn't Travon and he has some kind of access to Tenant, or is close enough to get his hands of forms that have his signature."

"B5, that order to release the ship that the Coast Guard stopped was a simple fax on this end, and you stated that the signature was not a wet signature. Is it possible that the non wet signature could have been a copy from another document?" Maybe their guy wasn't that close but had access to equipment to create a copy.

"Affirmative," B5 replied. "So LokSat isn't the director of the CIA and LokSat most likely isn't that close to him and yet he's based at Langley." He tried to think.

Rick's thought process was interrupted by a knock on their bedroom door. He killed the pad and put away everything he had out then opened the door. "Jim, is something wrong with the video equipment?" The last he knew Jim was spending most of his time either watching movies or was in the pool.

"Have you got a minute? I have a few questions. I know there are questions you two can't answer and tell me if you can't answer the ones I ask, but I have a few anyway," Jim told him.

"Sure, come on in and have a seat." He motioned to the seating area of their bedroom which was much like the seating area in the bedroom Jim and Johanna were using. "What's on your mind?" Rick inquired.

"Jo is amazed at how much information you two have collected on her case. Katie stated that she wants to open an office to help families find women who are missing. I guess I want to know if Katie is capable of doing what she says she wants to do. I don't know what Jo's reading but she's impressed, so I'm assuming that Katie's part of what Jo's reading." Jim was simply looking out for his daughter. "I mean she's only been back for a few months and to us she's still 15 years old even though she officially isn't." Katie wasn't acting like a 15 year old teenager anymore.

"I was wondering when you were going to get around to that," Rick commented. "And like Kate, I would dearly love to explain it all to you but I can't, or more accurately, won't. But to answer your question, yes, Kate is responsible for some of what your wife has been reading. And if you're wondering if she will be safe doing this, I can absolutely assure you she can take care of herself. Perhaps a demonstration downstairs in the exercise room for you and your wife would help. We can do it with me or even Alexis as her opponent. The Kate of today isn't the Kate you remember when she was 15," he stated.

"I just wanted to make sure Katie was doing the right thing. What she wants to do is admirable but also sounds dangerous. What if the woman she is looking for is in a different country like she was?" Jim pointed out.

"Kate will be fine. Trust me, she knows what to do and can take care of herself now. If those people who took her tried again now, they wouldn't stand a chance." He knew she wouldn't kill them outright. Though taking them somewhere and forgetting about them was something she might do.

It also reminded him that they had to figure out what to do with all the people they had taken so far, including his ex-wife. WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE DOING HERE ANYWAY?

Jim had enough of an answer so he left Rick to find something else to do. Rick was right behind him and headed for the kitchen to start thinking about dinner, only to find Johanna in the kitchen. "Johanna?" he questioned.

"I'm cooking tonight. It's my way of thanking you for everything you've done for Katie… and us. They would have killed us and Katie too, if she had showed up wouldn't they?" she asked.

"They would have tried. But Kate can handle herself now and it wouldn't have gone the way they were likely hoping for." He was sure of that. She wouldn't have been able to use her fingers because of her parents, but he also knew that she had combat training.

"I'm still trying to come to terms with that. One day she was my 15 year old teenager, and then suddenly she was gone. And when she came back everything was different." Johanna still didn't understand that.

"Kate has worked hard to get where she is now, and she's still your daughter. She just doesn't have the memory of those 5 years like she should," he remarked.

"That man in North Korea..." Johanna commented and started opening cabinets. "The pantry is over there." Rick pointed to the bank of cabinets on the end. Johanna went to open them. "Did your friend tell you what happened to him?"

"I know the man's dead. Beyond that I don't know. It wasn't one of the many questions I asked him." He was forced to lie and he hated it almost as much as Kate did.

"And the CIA couldn't ID her?" Johanna asked. He shook his head. He knew the answer to that question and didn't have to lie. "Her finger prints weren't in the system since she had never been arrested; had never been employed by the government; never needed to have her history checked for a security clearance; was too young at the time for a driver's license; no known history of her ever having a passport," he said.

"She didn't even remember her own name at that time or anyone else's for that matter. It was pure luck that she managed to remember Madison or we might not be here now. Madison has actually helped her a lot in her recovery." Rick knew Maddie had been talking to her. He still had to do something about her teaching Kate about tying him to the bed.

"Madison has been a big help to Jim and me too. She's been a good friend." Johanna paused for a moment to think about the time they had with Madison while Kate was missing.

"How about Cheesy Chicken Casserole?" Johanna suggested after looking through their pantry.


	48. Chapter 48

**CH48**

Kate watched Alexis walk around not at all worried. She had even walked right up to all of the men while they unloaded the flatbed truck. Kate didn't dare call her back. Most of those men were likely armed or had even heavier weapons near them. They paid Alexis no mind as she even walked into the warehouse to look around. Kate was about to have a whole litter of kittens and was going to give Alexis an earful when this was over.

"Meow." _You have no idea what my mother is going to do to you._

Alexis was still wandering around as they worked at closing up the warehouse while three of them piled into the truck. One of them even reached down to pick up Alexis so he could take her with him. Alexis easily jumped out of reach and ran for it.

Kate watched the others jump into the back of the truck as they drove off. She decided to wait and watch. Eventually Alexis came back to Kate and wove her way between Kate's legs. "Just what did you think you were doing?" Kate was mad and scared.

"Meow." _I'm a cat_ _M_ _om._

To Kate Alexis was anything but a simple cat that didn't frighten armed men unloading kilos of heroin. Alexis was walking around with Kate's heart.

"Let's get these devices set and get out of here. We need to figure out what to do next," she told Alexis. They teleported to the first building Kate had already been in, pulled out one of Rick's toys, and set it for 2 hours. She teleported from building to building and used her finger to unlock the door before going inside each building. Her only problem was there really wasn't good hiding place to watch the buildings burn to the ground. However, she remembered that there was a wooded park area to the north and if she found a spot in the southeast corner, she might be able to watch the flames.

It took just over 2 hours for her to see the first of the flames. All of the buildings were heavily involved before the fire department showed up. They stood no chance of putting it out. All they could hopefully do was keep it from spreading.

"Let's go home Alexis." She picked up Alexis and pressed the gem in her hand. She watched Alexis streak out of their bedroom while she went into the closet to change out of her all black outfit. Johanna was just dishing out her cheesy casserole when Kate showed up.

"There you are." Johanna was wondering where she was. "Hi Mom, Dad," Kate greeted them as Rick got a kiss.

"I suppose you were working on this case?" Johanna questioned. "Yep, right now we're trying to chase down where the drugs are stored. Our primary problem is who to tell." Kate admitted.

"Not everyone can be dirty Katie," Johanna pointed out. "True Mom, but if we tell A what we have and he tells his boss B, who happens to be dirty. Then what happens? Or what happens if B overhears A telling someone else? What happens to A and the other person? Until we know whom to trust, we're holding onto everything we have," she said to her mother.

Johanna thought about what Katie had said and everything she had read so far, which still wasn't all that she was given. She shook her head. How had Pulgotti gotten into this mess?

"I still don't see the connection between Pulgotti and the three dirty cops," Johanna remarked, frustrated.

"Actually we have a theory about that," Rick said. "Everything seems to revolve around importing and selling drugs. In this case heroin and there's only one reason to be involved in heroin," he pointed out.

Johanna acknowledged his idea. "Money, but none of them are that rich." Johanna identified a flaw in his thinking. "What if the cops are the low end and didn't ever get the money?" he suggested. "Or they had it taken from them?" Kate said.

"Good cops that did something bad and got caught? You're suggesting that the three of them are being blackmailed so that they give up or have already handed over all the money to someone." Johanna wasn't sure about their ideas .

Rick nodded. "Someone who used that money and brought himself the attention of the person who's shipping it all in."

"He's a patsy babe! That answers so many questions," Kate suddenly spoke up.

"You two have lost me." Johanna hated not knowing, but then she hadn't had the time to read everything they had given her yet.

"Think about it. You have 3 corrupt cops, one dead FBI agent, and one mob enforcer who's in prison for a murder he didn't commit. These three cops weren't initially involved with the drugs, but they are now whether they like it or not. The mob has money, all gained from illegal means. Now who needs money?" Rick offered and queried.

"Besides everyone?" Johanna asked. "But you said the cops didn't have any of this money?" Jim pointed out. "Blackmailed out of the money? Money from what? The mob isn't just going to hand over money to cops corrupt or not," Johanna replied.

"The FBI had an agent on the inside and along came 3 cops. A mob enforcer would have secrets. Secrets that the mob he's with wouldn't want to get out," Rick began.

"If these cops take the mob enforcer they could blackmail the mob he's with or sell him back to his mob. OR auction him off to a rival mob, filled with all those secrets," Kate added.

"One mob enforcer is worth what? $10 grand maybe $20?" Johanna wasn't on board yet. "The FBI agent has to go if the 3 cops know that he's one." She was catching up. "Still $20 grand?"

"If this was just the one time this had happened. Even better, what mob is going to advertise that they've been blackmailed, or had their man auctioned away to a rival gang," Kate posited. "Or sold back to his mob?" Rick suggested.

Johanna now nodded. "$20 grand here, $20 grand there. Do it enough and you can have a nice chunk of change. …So, who got the money?"

"Back to the question Mom, who needs that kind of money?" Kate inquired.

"Thousands if not hundreds of thousands." It forced Johanna to think about it. "And heroin is involved now if not back then."

"Who had control over the cops Jo? Who would be in place to learn about what they are doing?" Jim suddenly asked. "Prosecutors maybe, the DA perhaps, police commissioner possibly. It could even be a mob lawyer," Johanna proposed.

"What do you do with that kind of money Jo?" Jim asked now that he was following.

"The mob would use it for whatever and they love drugs, except it doesn't answer why Pulgotti?" Johanna paused. "The FBI agent - how does he fit into this? Wrong place at the wrong time maybe?" Johanna paused again. "What would a prosecutor need that kind of money for except to make his life comfortable, but the cops are still involved because of the drugs." She was sure she was starting to get a headache. "Low level mob members want to become the boss. The DA or police commissioner want to be what? Plus it requires hundreds of thousands to accomplish whatever it is they are reaching for." Johanna still wasn't connecting the pieces.

"You two know don't you?" Johanna could almost see it on their faces.

"We have an idea, yes. Just no proof of it at the moment," Rick responded.

"Care to share with the class?" Johanna asked, meaning her.

"You still have a lot to read Mom. When you finish what you have, I think you'll work it out for yourself," Kate replied.

"Anyone want a movie? I can set up the outdoor screen and we can watch one on the roof," Rick offered.

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There were six men in two SUVs though only five of them were getting ready. "We wait for Mike to kill the power and at his signal Sergio will bypass the security system just inside the front door. Victor will take the main floor while the rest of us will go up the stairs. With this many floors we can expect a minimum of 4 bedrooms if not 6, so we'll do 2 men per floor. We do this quick - take pictures, get a DNA sample, and get out," the lead man told all of them. "Give me a mic check," he said to everyone who was listening to him and got 5 responses.

"Mike, you're on," he called out and a single person left one of the SUVs. They watched Mike walk down the street, use a device to open a panel in the ground, and disappear below grade. It took a number of minutes however the evidence that he had completed his job was the fact that the lights outside of the building went out. "Power is out, you have just seconds if they have an emergency generator," he warned them.

They were all out of the SUVs with their weapons at the ready. Each was showing a primary weapon of HK MP-5SD3 with integral silencer and retractable stock.

"James," one called and they watched him attach a mini charge to the lock on the front door. With a small flash and sound the door was pushed open.

Inside they found a foyer with another set of double doors as well as a single door that probably lead out to the garage that they didn't bother with. "James," the same person called and they watched him attach another charge to the inside doors which was followed by another small flash and sound.

Those doors were opened. Just inside the door they saw two small football looking items on the floor with eyestalks sitting there. They were nothing so the men started to move past them.

All but the last two men missed seeing something come out of the top of each unit and they watched as the first two men through the double doors were literally cut in two from the groin up through their bodies and out their heads. It was like watching a horror movie or some sci-fi battle movie as they watched the two halves of their bodies fall to the side, as though they'd been peeled.

The two men in the back, like the others, were well trained and immediately emptied their clips into the two little yellow blobs on the floor that had somehow cut two of their men in half.

Satisfied that the yellow things were both filled with holes, the men ejected their spent clips and were just starting to insert new clips when two more of the yellow blobs showed up around the corner. One of the two along with the other man were cut in half, literally from the groin up and fell to each side.

The last man put a short burst into each of the two blobs. He watched them spark as bits and pieces flew off of them like the first two. Surprise was gone and four of the five men were also gone.

It was time to leave and report in that their assault was a failure. However he never saw the third set of DRDs show up, one of which cut him in half in a heartbeat. The amount of pain that the five men felt only barely made it to their minds with no time to scream.

The man who had cut the power was climbing out when he saw a small yellow blob with two black eyestalks somehow glide down the steps of the building and scarcely saw it display its plasma cutter before it cut him in half like all the others.

That DRD went down into where the man had come out and repaired the connection, turning the power back on. Once completing its job, it came back out of the hole and proceeded back inside the building, leaving a dead man and 2 SUVs behind.

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Kate woke up in the middle of the night and found she had her head on Rick's chest just barely. Her hand was hurting, actually pulsing with pain. At first she thought her hand was asleep except her alien-constructed hand didn't work that way. She rubbed her hand on Rick's chest trying to get the pain to stop but all it seemed to accomplish was waking him up. "Sorry babe." She took her hand away; it was still hurting.

"Whats…going…on?" He lifted his hand up for both of them to see. His hand was pulsing with every heartbeat. It was actually getting bigger and then just a bit smaller. She placed his pulsing hand in her painful hand and it was then that they both saw their hands doing the same thing. "Malfunction?" she asked, not really thinking straight yet.

"Pulsing hand," he said aloud. "SECURITY ALERT!" they said at the same time. Both of them scrambled out of bed. He found the pair of pants he had worn yesterday and put them on while she grabbed his dress shirt and buttoned a couple of buttons before they flew out of their bedroom.

Rick headed for the stairs while Kate went to the bedroom where her parents were sleeping along with Alexis who was still protecting them. She pointed her finger at the lock, locking it tight and went after him. She quickly caught up to him since he was inching his way down the stairs carefully, not knowing where the problem was.

He made it to the bottom of the stairs just in time to see a single DRD pulling another DRD behind it, except the one being pulled was filled with holes. Kate remained silent but placed a hand on his arm in a silent question.

He peeked around the corner with a finger at the ready. Only what he saw was another DRD starting to pull another hole-filled DRD away. He also saw 5 men, at least he thought that was what he saw since it was difficult to tell.

Kate watched him walk right over and head to the front door which got her to look around the corner. "WHAT THE HELL!?" Rick was walking between what looked like men cut in half.

She stepped out and looked around while he pressed a button. "They cut the power somewhere," he remarked since the lights remained off.

"Why isn't there any blood?" Kate questioned as she looked at organs and bones all exposed. "Plasma torches. They actually cauterize the cut simultaneously with the cut itself. I told you the DRDs could act like a security system since they are all controlled by B5," he reminded her.

"They're all armed and there are what 4 or 5 of them?" She tried counting the halves."SIX!" He was standing at the open front door that was damaged and saw another halved man out on the sidewalk. Kate watched him run outside and take a quick look around before he bent down, touched one half, then vanished in a swirl of clouds. She rapidly moved in to help as she took hold of the other half and faded from view in a cloudy twist.

It took both of them a number of trips to get rid of the men after relieving them of their wallets. They were both soon standing outside in darkness. "Think these SUVs are theirs?" she questioned as she watched a DRD glide down the stairs and over to the hole where the DRD disappeared down into it.

"Scan it and then we can take a look inside," he offered. They had just finished walking around their respective SUVs when the lights in their house came back on. The DRD came out of the hole and glided back into the house.

"Search your car while I close the hole," he told her before searching his car.

They both had what little they found in hand when they came upon another DRD repairing the broken lock on both doors. "Where are your parents?" he asked as he walked to the dining room. "I locked them and Alexis in their bedroom," she answered. "B5 activate," Rick said and they watched the wall light up normally. "B5 active," was the response.

After Kate handed the wallets she had retrieved over to him, he placed all of the wallets they had recovered on the scanning plate along with their finds from the SUVs. "Scan for analysis," Rick instructed B5. Afterwards he collected all of it and disappeared in a swirl of clouds. But he was back almost instantly.

"They've found us." Kate was despondent. Rick sighed heavily and sat in one of the dining room chairs. "I imagine it's because they have your name and found our wedding certificate. A little research and they had an address."

"They've lost their main warehouse in Turkey or at least one of them. The container in New York and Miami are also gone," he declared. "Plus Coonan's or Simmons's warehouse," she added as he nodded in agreement. He wasn't surprised they had a problem, only that they had been located and attacked so soon.

"What do we do now babe?" Kate was thinking they had to run. They needed to find a new place to live, and what would they tell her parents?

"The mess is cleaned up and the bodies will never be found again. We need to get rid of those 2 SUVs and then go back to sleep...if we can," he responded.

"SLEEP? We can't stay here Rick. They found us and they'll just send another team to kill us. What are we going to do with my parents, B5, and the DRDs?" she demanded. "This place is secure Kate. The DRDs did exactly what they are partly designed to do - be security for us," he countered.

"And he or they have plenty more where those came from. The next time they'll show up with something bigger. A LAWS rocket or C4...they could blow the entire building to pieces. I should never have used my own name. This is all my fault! I should have known better." She hung her head.

Rick moved over to take Kate in his arms. "You did nothing wrong. Some of our missions are going to be dangerous simply by the nature of them. It would appear that we have gotten someone's attention however. Besides we're safe for now though it wouldn't hurt to start looking for a new place, especially after we complete this mission," he admitted.

"Well, I was thinking that we could look for a vacation home for us. Someplace that we could go to unwind," she told him. "We could do that but how do we handle your parents? They have jobs, especially your father." Rick saw a small problem they had to handle.

They had been found, her parents had already been found, and the people they were after weren't likely to stop. "Can we search for a vacation home and move all of us there for now? Put it under an alias so that they can't follow us. Give my parents new names just to get them plane tickets to get them and us there," Kate suggested.

"I can get started on finding a new place for us or just a vacation home. As for new names…B5 we will need new IDs based on where we choose to move," he said.

"Understood. Any country is an option for you, Katherine, and her parents," B5 reminded both knew that B5 could be relocated easily as well as the DRD units.

"Maybe dad and mom could find new jobs and start over." She didn't know if they would go for being relocated but she knew she wouldn't know until she asked.


	49. Chapter 49

**CH49**

"Hey Kate. Please come here and tell me what you think." Rick called her into the kitchen to look at the display that B5 was putting up on the wall, accessing his laptop as he searched different sites. It was still early in the morning. The 5 bad guys had shown up a little after 2:00 am and they both knew going back to sleep was out. So here they were in the dining room with Kate's parents and Alexis still locked up in their bedroom.

"They come in 2, 3, and 4 bedroom villas. It's the Sea Gallery Villas in Cyprus. Each space comes with its own one (or more) mooring for a boat. We could get a boat and go boating out in the Mediterranean. Stop at Istanbul again, go to Greece, Italy, and the South of France maybe," Rick proposed.

He ran through the pictures and showed her the floor plans. "They're all side by side Rick. We don't even get a yard. Where's our child going to play?" Kate placed her hand over the non-existent bump; she didn't know if their child was a reality yet. If she was pregnant she was pretty sure just when it had happened.

"Some of them have really large living rooms. What they show you could actually be two living rooms, a dining room, and a big kitchen and all of them come with a pool." He tried to sell her on it. "A pool that we would have to fence in to keep our child out," she countered.

He sighed, closed the window with that website, and went back to looking, getting a kiss to the top of his head from Kate. He hadn't noticed that she was talking about their future as a family.

It was an hour later and Kate was walking back into the dining room seeing yet another site up on B5's screen. "Ooo, what's that?" It had her attention, whatever it was.

"It's called the Venetian Island Fort. The building was built during the Napoleonic war. It has four bedrooms, three bathrooms. It has its own private sheltered harbor and mooring facilities. It's 20 minutes by boat to Venice. We could go there to eat out and not worry about being seen teleporting. It has the grass you're looking for. And it's air conditioned." He put up all of the pictures he had found.

Venice could be seen in the distance along with the spire that was the bell tower of St. Mark's Basilica. There was shaded outdoor seating thanks to all of the trees.

"It's nice Rick. I like it, but how do we keep our child from going into the water way? And there's no pool and no beach." While Kate liked it, she was concerned about the danger to their possible child and the lack of a pool or beach. She kissed his head again and walked back out to let him keep looking.

"WE COULD ADD A POOL!" Rick yelled at her retreating form. It was made of brick and had large windows considering the year it was built and then renovated. "Keep it on the list," she hollered back.

He still moaned, it was going to be difficult to please his wife. Why did she have to be so choosey anyway?

Kate was back in the dining room looking at the pictures of his next selection. "It's in Elolunda, Crete. It has 4 bedrooms, 3-1/2 bathrooms, and is 2,906 square feet. It has a pool and grass, with views of the Mediterranean from almost every room in the house." He put up the pictures.

There were wood floors, a nice-sized kitchen, maybe a little smaller than the one they had now but not by much. It had a fire place and the doors leading out onto the patio and pool were huge and literally opened up the entire wall. There was an exercise room with a shower and sauna. And a garage for the car. Kate sucked in her breath when she saw the one wall of accordion doors that were all glass just like the ones in the living room. It had its own patio with outdoor seating and overlooked the Mediterranean. RIck heard her and started smiling since maybe they had a winner. All they needed to do was go see it first. There were neighbors but they weren't in close proximity like the property in Cyprus.

The island of Kalydon was in the distance. "It's not water front so we can't have a boat right out back, but we can still get one. We would simply need to find a mooring close by," he explained.

She really did want a pool, one that was bigger than the one they had. She just didn't want their child to drown in it. "You seem bent on getting a boat babe," she mentioned."We can't always teleport to get someplace," he commented. "We would need a really big boat if we are going to start cruising the Mediterranean," she pointed out.

Rick twisted his head to look up at Kate smiling widely. "Fine, you can keep this one on the list. Just keep looking. We still need to actually see it first, you know. I'm not raising our child in a vacation home without actually seeing it." She patted his shoulders, kissed the top of his head, and then started to walk back out.

"CHILD!?" he yelled. Kate, however, didn't stop, leaving Rick to think about their future with children. She turned around and got a drink out of the refrigerator. She sat and watched and waited for the next property that he liked and wanted her to look at. She had gotten tired of coming and going so she just stayed put for the moment.

"This one is in Sliema on Malta. It has 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and 5,382 square feet of space. It's a penthouse in a tower unit. It doesn't have its own pool but the building has a community pool and it's on the coast. The railings are all glass so you can see everything," he said and pulled the available pictures up for her to see.

She shook her head. "It's modern minimalist Rick, I hate that look. It has no character and isn't a home. It's more like we would be visiting someone else's home. Keep looking," she stated, after having giving him her opinion.

Kate just sat there and waited for the next one. "How about this one? It's in Rabat, Malta. It has 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. It's located in a more countryside setting." He pulled up the pictures. "Is that an indoor lap pool?" She was amazed. "Uh oh, I see a large fan in the picture. If they need a fan that big there must be a problem." Kate looked at all of the other pictures. "I don't know... There's no yard to speak of and who needs to park 6 cars under a covered area? I like the idea of the chandeliers that are everywhere, but it looks just too…formal to me." She shook her head and took it off the list. "Get off Malta babe."

It took him a little while to move on to a new location. "Now where are we?" Kate sat down and waited. "I don't know too much about this one but it's in Lisboa, Portugal," he told her. "Portugal!" Kate was mildly shocked. He had seemed dead set on being in the Mediterranean but now he was on the Atlantic. "I don't know a price or even how many bedrooms; it just says 16,791 square feet of space," he told her as her eyes widened. Was it an apartment complex?

He put up the pictures and she immediately whistled. "WOW!" The ground floor was huge and open and there was a mezzanine all around all four sides. The roof - no, the ceiling - was a roof that had a skylight at the peak from end to end. Whoever currently owned it had lush, potted plants everywhere. It made the huge interior look like a botanical garden. "It's huge and gorgeous Rick. Where is the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms… OH!" He put up the next set of pictures.

It looked like one side of the open space had arches on each floor. It was those areas that had the living room, dining room, and kitchen. According to the pictures the kitchen and dining room were on the mezzanine level. The living room, while narrow, was quite long and was located on the ground floor.

There was an office somewhere, but based just on the pictures they couldn't figure out where it was located. The master bedroom was equally huge and had a large attached seating area. "Oh look, the office is in the master bedroom behind the seating area," Kate commented as a new picture came up. A second bedroom was right next door and even had an adjoining double door. "That door is going to remain closed and locked," she pointed out.

"There are no pictures of the exterior, nothing that tells us where it is located. B5, can you pull up all the pictures that show the skylight?" Kate asked. "There, that picture and that one. It looks like there are buildings immediately adjacent and one is like 3 floors taller and right next door," she noted. "And?" he questioned. "No pool unless we somehow put it inside. No beach and we don't even know how far away the coast is for the boat you want so badly," she remarked.

"Lisboa is Lisbon, love muffin…sugar plum?" Rick hung his head and groaned. The look Kate was giving him told him those terms of endearment were also out. "Lisbon faces the Tagus River so we could still get a boat," he replied hopefully.

"Keep it on the list babe and we can ask the realtor a few questions before going to look at it. With 16,000 square feet of space, there has to be a way to get a pool on the first floor. How do we know we can afford this place?" She had no idea of how much money they had. "I set the search for between $1 million and $5 million and yes, we can afford that," Rick told her.

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Boats were next on Rick's list:

 _ **Ferretti 57 anno – 240,000 euros, tax paid.**_

 _Walking into the large salon of the Ferretti 57, it is hard not be impressed by the refined mixture of style, elegance, and comfort. The diffused illumination from the wall lights plays games with the reflections of the polished mahogany. The furniture is not only impeccably designed but extremely practical. Sophisticated details - such as the fan shaped stairs leading up to the flybridge and down to the galley - testify to the continuous search by Ferretti designers for increasingly refined and exclusive solutions. The crew's cabin with its private head has direct access to the galley. This cabin can also serve as a guest cabin or as an exceptionally large storeroom. Down below, there is the forward master cabin and two guest cabins, one of which has a French bed. The 57 has excellent soundproofing, both from the main engines (with underwater exhausts) and from the whisper quiet generator. The integral swim platform is large enough to stow a jet ski within and a tender above, while still leaving room for its main function._

 _58'-3" long with a beam of 16'-2" and a draft of 5'-3"_

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 _ **71' Azimut 68m – 670,000 euros**_

"No Rick, just no. 670,000 euros is what, something like $800 thousand in US dollars. Just no, Rick. Keep looking." She didn't even bother kissing the top of his head for this one. It was just too big and cost way too much.

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 _ **Kokab – 67'-9" - $700 thousand**_

"A boat Rick, not a yacht. We're not Steve Jobs or Paul Allen. We're not sailing from New York to Spain and even farther. A boat." She kissed his head this time and went back to doing what she was doing.

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 **Azumit 68 – 71'-0" long, 17'-7" beam with a 4'-9" draft - $515 thousand**

 _REVOLUTIONARY LINES, HIGH PERFORMANCE WITH 2X1150HP MTU, FULL MED EXTRAS, WITH A LAY OUT OF A MUCH LARGER BOAT (4 CABINS 4 BATHROOMS)_

"That's better Rick, this one and the first one. Now you just need one more. Where are they located now?" she inquired. "They're both in Greece actually, this one is in Athens to be more precise," he informed her.

"That's good, we wouldn't have to go very far to get it to Crete if we get that one." Kate kissed the top of his head. "Just one more babe and then we can go look at them." He pumped his arm after she left. He was getting close! Just one more boat and they could find a vacation home _and_ a boat.

His victory however was short lived when Kate came in to get a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. "Can we afford any of this babe? I don't even have a job yet." She was still upset about that. She wanted to pull her own weight.

"When we get the Senator and the CIA operative, our mission is complete unless our aliens tell us different. Which means you can open your agency that we talked about, specializing in finding lost women. Especially the ones that were prime targets of human trafficking. We just need to find you an office and get it set up for you," Rick pointed out.

"And I don't remember telling you or not, but the aliens gave me this house. I didn't buy it or the car. Both those and the furniture along with B5 were already here. My books are making me millions and I've barely spent a fraction of it. The most I ever spent was for our wedding including your engagement ring," he explained. "You didn't buy…you mean we're rich? Like rich, rich?" Kate's mouth fell open in astonishment.

"B5?" Rick inquired, asking her for an accounting of their wealth. "Richard's Derek Storm 5 book series thus far. The first one had a $2 million advance from Black Pawn. Sales of the first book generated $5 million in sales for Richard. The second book had a $2.5 million advance and generated another $4.85 million. The third book was another $2.5 million advance and generated an additional $5.12 million. The fourth book and the last one Black Pawn published had a $3 million advance and generated another $5.08 million. The latest book had a $4 million advance and generated $5.34 million," B5 reported.

"That's, that's…" Kate tried to remember and do the math in her head. "$39.39 million in total. Richard's investment banker had been able to provide him with an average interest rate of 5.67% on the $39 million that was invested. The $390 thousand is used for purchases such as your wedding, hotel rooms, and food." B5 kept track of everything.

"5.67%." Kate had no idea how much that turned $39 million into. "That is another $2.21 million for a total of $41.6 million that is available. A minimum of another $2.21 million is anticipated depending on how much this vacation home costs as well as the boat. That does not include maintenance and insurance costs," B5 remarked.

It was just a number; she couldn't begin to fathom just how much $41 million was or what they could do with it. Kate didn't know what else to do so she just laughed at it all. It was more than she ever dreamed when she was a little girl. She had just wanted someone to love and be loved back. His being stinking rich, handsome, and in love with her was just icing on the cake. She had loved him first, unaware of his wealth.

Kate placed a hand on her stomach. "We're starting a college fund right now," she informed him.

Rick now had 3 vacation homes for them to visit and he wanted her to make the choice of which one they would purchase. He just needed to find one more boat since she had approved 2 of them.

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 _ **Ferreti 810 – 978,000 euros, taxes not paid. 81'-04" long with a beam of 19'-6"**_

"It looks nice Rick, but it's over a million US dollars, and while I know we have the money, I don't want to spend a million dollars on something we'll use once or maybe twice a year. The Ferreti 57 and the Azumit 68 are good choices; you need one more babe." Kate patted his shoulder and left him to his search.

"One more that is big enough but not over $1 million. Does she know how difficult that is?" Rick moaned and got back to work.

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 _ **Sunseeker MKII Manhattan 74, $790 thousand, taxes paid. Length of 75'-6", beam of 17'-7" with a draft of 4'-10".**_ "Where's this one babe?" she asked. "This one is in Spain," he said and was pleased to find out that Kate didn't think it was too far. "It's still $800 thousand and I shot one down already at that price. We need a boat, not a yacht. The Ferreti 57 was a nice price, big enough, and close enough. The Azumit 68 at $500 thousand was nice and I think I actually like it better than this Sunseeker at $800 thousand. We need to go see these vacation homes and then we can go see these boats," she stated.

"MEOW!" _Please tell me I won't get wet on th_ _at_ _tiny boat_ _!_

They had unlocked the bedroom door releasing Jim, Johanna and Alexis even though Jim and Johanna had no knowledge that the door had ever been locked. At the moment Jim with Johanna's supervision were both up on the roof grilling their lunch.

"Alexis sweetie, the Azumit 68 we're talking about is as long as this place is tall. You're only going to get wet if you fall overboard and you'll have little reason to be above deck anyway," Kate said, trying to calm her.

"Meow!" _We could sink_ _!_

"That's why there's a Kodiak on the back that we can lower off the rear of the boat," she countered having not really expected this much dissent from Alexis. "Stern babe, it's called the stern not the back," Rick corrected. "Stern, back, whatever it's called. It still has one and that's where it is," Kate defended herself.

Rick, however, had a huge smile. He had gotten in a term of endearment which happened to be the same one she used for him. He finally had a victory.

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www dot sothebysrealty dot com slash sales slash detail slash 180-I-826-smsx6t slash elounda-luxury-villas-elounda-cr-72053

Replace the word dot with a real dot. Replace the word slash with a forward slash and remove all spaces and it should work. Hopefully.

www dot theyachtmarket dot com slash boats underscore for underscore sale slash 1217014

You know the drill by now.


	50. Chapter 50

**CH50**

My apologies over the previous chapter. Some of you may have noticed while others may not have even thought about it. But the costs of the houses and the boats (yachts) was in today's dollars, not in the year 2000 dollars. It's important because a boat bought new in the year 2000 is not worth as much in the year 2015. Which means the boat that they selected that costs $700 thousand today would have cost millions back then. MY BAD! Still they do have the money so no real harm.

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"Should I be nervous?" Rick asked as he and Kate with Alexis right behind them came up on the roof. "Something smells good." He took in a deep breath to get a good whiff of the smell of BBQ.

"We're doing our best," Jim said as he flipped the steaks again, checked on the potatoes, and moved the asparagus off the grill since it was done. The steaks would follow soon then he stirred the baked beans. "Now if we were just doing this over an open fire while camping," Jim sighed. "With fish instead of steaks," Johanna added. "Naturally," he agreed.

Later everyone was sitting outside in the dark, save for the deck lights, drinking coffee and enjoying the view, each wishing they could actually see the stars. "I could learn to like this place even if it isn't ours," Jim commented. It was so much bigger, the bed was bigger and way more comfortable. "Anxious to get back into your own place?" Rick questioned.

"Don't get us wrong Rick, but this is your house. A place to grow into." Johanna wasn't hinting at children and until it was out of her mouth it hadn't occurred to her. However she was saved. "Yeah, about that Mom and Dad..." Kate was hesitant to discuss last night. Plus just how much could they tell them?

"We had more visitors last night like the two you had at your apartment," Rick told them and saw the look of shock on their faces. "SERIOUSLY!? When exactly, how many, and why didn't we hear anything?" Johanna demanded to know.

"You didn't hear anything Mom because it was all done silently and there were five, no, six of them. I forgot about the one out front. And you two were perfectly safe, you had Alexis," she reminded her.

"Meow." _They were never going to hurt you._

"Alexis!? Alexis is a…cat." Johanna deflated the second she said the word "cat." She already knew Alexis was more than just a cat. "And how did you two manage to take out 6 hired killers without a tiger?" She gestured towards Alexis.

"A demonstration maybe?" Rick suggested, turning to look at Kate who nodded in agreement. Kate took off her heels and Rick, his shoes. They both pulled out their shirts and bowed to each other before stalking one another. Jim and Johanna watched as they both threw and blocked a series of arm strikes and leg swings some of which Jim and Jo had only ever seen in Hollywood action movies.

It seemed to them that it took only minutes before he finally had her on the ground but it was only moment before she was standing again. A few heartbeats later, she got him down only to see him counter and take her back down. They parted and bowed to each other to end it.

"Where did you two learn to do that?" Johanna finally asked after she recovered from what she had seen. "Never mind. You can't tell me," she moaned. "Sorry Mom, just be thankful that we have the ability," Kate said.

"So what's next? They know where we live and came after us. Now they know where you live and came to harm you," Johanna questioned beginning to feel very afraid.

"That's something Rick and I discussed all last night, or what was left of it. We're looking at finding a house to move to and get all of us new names. Permanent or temporary we don't know," she told them.

"You're thinking of taking us with you and giving us new names." Johanna wasn't questioning, she thought she knew her daughter. "But we have jobs. Granted somehow you got my company to give me time off, but I can't just disappear. I - we - have commitments," Jim countered.

"I shouldn't have taken that Pulgotti case. It brought us to here." Johanna was sure this was all her fault.

"These men are after us Mom, not you. Well, not you personally. And taking the Pulgotti case sounds just like you. Besides he actually is innocent of killing that FBI agent," she informed them.

"Except I haven't found out anything while you two have found out way more. Maybe one day you'll be able to explain it all." Johanna was still dying to know.

"We're safe for now at least until the people who sent them find out their men failed and they come up with another plan," Rick said. "Like what?" Jim inquired since these two seemed to know what they were doing.

"Well, for one thing we need to go grocery shopping and to get more information on them, we need to go out," he offered. "And they now know where we all are. But if we leave aren't they going to see us?" Johanna queried.

"They don't yet know their men have failed which is why we are leaving tomorrow after we pack and get our new IDs," he informed them, pushing and hoping they didn't bolt on them.

"Pack and leave tomorrow!?" Johanna was shocked. She was all set to say that these men were after them and not her and her husband. However, they were already after her and her husband. "Give us a minute?" Johanna entreated, since this was something they could only decide together.

"Of course. And there is ice cream in the freezer," Rick reminded her and walked downstairs.

"I don't know when we will get these people, only that we will. We have to," Kate apprised her parents knowing that if she and Rick failed… The fate of the world rested on their shoulders.

"Maybe you can open your own office where we are going or somewhere close by," Kate offered hoping that it sounded good to them. "And you Katie, are you opening your office in this location?" Was she willing to stay wherever they were going? "And where are we going anyway?" Johanna demanded.

"Women who need help aren't just from New York Mom. Maybe considering only New York City is actually limiting who I can help and those who need help. So long as I advertise worldwide, I should be able to find people or they find me." She hadn't actually thought about opening an office where they were going. She now had a new search in mind to do with B5. "Just think about it and start packing," she advised them and went downstairs to join Rick.

"What did they say?" he asked as she came down the stairs and found him on the first floor. "They're talking, but they don't really have a choice do they?" She hated forcing her parents to come with them. "Not much no," he admitted.

"Mom asked if I was going to open an office where we are going," she remarked. "AND!?" he replied. She shrugged her shoulders. "Crete isn't New York City, but am I limiting who I can help if my office was here instead of somewhere else or is it the other way around?" She was concerned that women would slip through her fingers if she was too hard to find.

"If they want help and they come across your name in New York or in Crete, they'll find a way to talk to you. It _is_ the 21st century after all. Actually it might increase the number of women who need your help. Other countries have a tendency to think Americans are privileged. If your office is closer to Europe they may be more inclined to come to if these privileged Americans really want your help they'll find you," he stated and wrapped his arms around her. "As sad as it sounds, you are probably going to be really busy."

"We need to do some research for a house for my parents and office space for me," she mentioned while she hugged him close for comfort. "How long can we really stay in Crete? We're not Greek."

"We're all about to have dual citizenship thanks to B5," he pointed out. "All of us will be traveling with our new names on Greek passports." Kate kissed Rick since she had forgotten for a moment just what B5 could do.

"I wonder how hard it is to learn Greek," she mused after breaking from the kiss. "We're about to find out," he replied since he knew they were all probably going to be in the same class.

"So what's left on our list of things to do?" she asked not removing her arms since she was comfortable where she was. "We need to wait for your ship to leave Miami and dock in Galveston then search for the third container. We have a name for our Senator that we need to investigate and we need to figure out the warehouse situation for Coonan and Simmons. Not to mention finding out who our CIA operative is." Rick ticked off items still on their list.

"Why is it that I'm thinking our mysterious CIA operative is the key to who pushes the button?" she wondered. "Not that I understand how someone in the CIA has immunity to eliminate us all. Certainly not with heroin."

"It's only a little after lunch. I'm going to go visit our distinguished Senator and you have a date at the closest dock area in Turkey. Find out if there are still more containers waiting to be shipped. There's only one device downstairs so there better be only one if there are any," he stated.

Kate moaned. "Back into all black." She kissed him again and headed upstairs to change with Rick right behind her. He had decided to wear a suit while heading to DC to visit Mr. Bracken.

He handed Kate his tablet after he used it to find Bracken's Washington apartment as she stepped out of the closet dressed all in black. "Looking good babe." Kate fingered his lapels and straightened his tie. "Should I be jealous?" she teased.

He smirked. "As if. Him or whatever escort hooker he has in his room at the moment." Rick gave her a quick kiss and checked to make sure he had a breathing mask in his pocket. "Don't wait up," he teased and vanished in a swirl of clouds.

Kate used the pad to see the dock area of the city Samsun. It looked like there were 3 container areas. One was on a peninsula where ships would dock. The second and next larger one was off to the side. The third was larger still and the only access to it was through the second area. Plus the third was surrounded by large, obvious warehouses with blue roofs.

"It better be in a container and not in one of these warehouses," she said to herself. Kate also decided on a place to arrive in that appeared to be isolated.

She turned off the tablet and opened the bedroom door. "ALEXIS!" Kate yelled and watched as she bounded down the hallway. Kate tapped her chest and got Alexis to jump into her arms. It was a trick Kate had learned from Rick. "We're going to another dock area and it should be dark there." Carrying Alexis, Kate walked back into their bedroom,closed and locked the door, then faded from view in a cloudy twist.

They arrived in the middle of a group of containers that were stacked up in the shape of a horseshoe. She put Alexis down and let her look around.

"Meow." _All clear_ _M_ _om._

She pointed her finger at the group of containers. When she got nothing, they made a dash to the largest grouping of containers and started walking up and down every other aisle pointing a finger to each side. Seven passes later and she had nothing, though she wasn't dejected that she hadn't found anything yet. Kate picked up Alexis, teleported to the other end of the site, then made one pass of the containers on either side and still came up empty.

Picking Alexis up again, Kate teleported to the next site. This site, save for a few containers that were sitting all alone, was mostly empty. One quick pass and she again had nothing. "If there is one it had better not be on a ship already." She looked around the empty yard and feared that it was.

Kate was all set to pick up Alexis when she suddenly took off like a rocket back down the row of containers. Kate didn't see or hear a thing til she heard something squeal in pain. She went running after Alexis. At the end of the row of containers she found Alexis the tiger standing over the body of a dead dog. Kate sighed at the sight of another dead dog. Before she could stop her, Alexis took off like a rocket yet again. This time she went deeper into the peninsula where the last of the containers were located.

"Alexis no!" Kate tried not to yell but still sound commanding. However Alexis the tiger ran out of sight. Kate went after her again, only this time there was a dead dog _and_ a dead man. She searched him and kept his wallet but left his weapon behind. "Let's just finish looking at the containers and get out of here before we find anyone else." Kate started walking down to the row of containers with Alexis the tiger right behind her. She watched as Alexis trotted past her to be out in front.

Kate was half way down the row of containers and was pointing a finger at each container when Alexis took off again. "Please, no! This has to stop Alexis. You can't just go on a killing spree. What did they teach you?" She went flying after Alexis while pointing a finger at each container as she passed.

She soon caught up with Alexis who was standing over another dead dog with a dead man not far away. Like the other man, he was also armed. Was all this security because of what they had been doing lately? If it was, it likely meant there was a container here somewhere filled with heroin. "Come on Alexis one more row to go." There was nothing Kate could do about Alexis's behavior now anyway. They would talk with Alexis later.

The very first container she came across had her finger pulsing. "Keep your eyes open Alexis." Kate went to work on the lock and pointed her finger at the hinges when they started squealing in protest as she opened one side. "WOW!" It was packed with pallet after pallet of heroin without the boxes up front. "Maybe the boxes get added later," she muttered to herself. "I'll be right back Alexis." And Kate was gone in a swirl of clouds only to return a moment later with Rick's last toy in hand.

"When he finds another warehouse, he's going to need to make more of these," Kate remarked to herself. She set the device, pressed the one hour button, then cut open one of the bags to get a sample for B5 to analyze later.

"Growl." _Company._ And Alexis trotted over to Kate, changed into a cat, and leaped up into Kate's arms.

"Meow." _Ship security._

She peeked around the edge of her container to look at the three ships that were moored side by side. On the stern of one of the boats was a man looking out while smoking a cigarette. Kate could see the glow of his cigarette.

She glanced at her watch. "Looks like we're going to have to stay and watch this one up close." Kate put Alexis back down and let her wander around while she waited. There were 10 minutes left on the device's one hour timer; she called Alexis over so she could teleport them farther away. She chose one of the blue roofs to watch from.

It turned out to be a man on watch aboard one of the three ships that sounded the alarm. It took almost half an hour for the first fire engine show up. She decided not to stay and watch. She and Alexis disappeared in a swirl of clouds and returned to the bedroom from where they began.

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Rick arrived outside of the tall apartment building. He had no plans to enter and go through what it would take to get up the elevator to Bracken's floor. Bracken did have a balcony that had a sliding glass door, which was Rick's next stop.

The drapes were open and what he saw meant his task just got more difficult. There were clothes everywhere. Most were men's but the bra and panties along with the high heels were dead giveaways. Bracken had company.

Rick pointed a finger, unlocked the glass door, then slid it open, closing it behind was curious as to what got Bracken's attention so he started with the bra. It was a lacy, frilly thing similar to what Kate wore from time to time. In this case it was black. "36 D," he commented to himself. "He likes them big. So typical." He dropped it where he found it.

Looking around he also found that Bracken liked modern and industrial. There wasn't a single feminine item in the room. Not even plants, real or fake. There were also two glasses and a bottle that he took a look at. "Tovarich, Russian Vodka." Rick put the bottle back down and pointed his finger at it and the glass door to remove fingerprints.

Steeling himself he walked to what he hoped would be the bedroom. He didn't hear anything which was a good sign. But why was Bracken home during the middle of the day? Shouldn't he be in an office somewhere?

Rick began smelling something odd which got him to take his breathing mask out and put it on, just in case. Stepping into the doorway he found two people lying on top of the bed. They were naked and appeared to be asleep. He ignored the girl and focused on Bracken and the side table that had smoked stubs of handmade cigarettes and unsmoked ones on it as well. He pocketed one to give to B5 later.

He reached out, touched Bracken, then they vanished in a swirl of smoke with the girl never waking up. She would eventually, of course. Then she'd get dressed and find her own way out.

 _ **Pomona, Namibia**_

It used to be a diamond mine but was shut down and left to rot years ago. While a few of the buildings still were standing, if they could be called that, there wasn't much there.

Rick put Bracken in one of the buildings, pointed a finger at him to scan him, and disappeared in a twist of clouds. Maybe two or three days in the heat with no water would loosen his tongue.

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"Hi babe!" Kate greeted him as soon as he showed up and removed the mask. She kissed him soundly. She was interested in taking things further, but they both had information to process she was guessing.

"I found another container in the port city of Samsun and used the last of your toys to burn it up. But we need to talk." She wasn't looking forward to this part. "Alexis killed a dog then killed two more dogs and their handlers before I even knew they were there. We need to talk with her babe. I know she hates dogs, but those men didn't have to die."

"Alexis is only trying to protect you Kate. She loves you and losing you would likely break her," he reminded her. "I know that Rick, but people don't have to die by being ripped to pieces and having their necks ripped open every time she scents a dog," Kate countered.

He sighed. This hadn't been a problem until Kate entered their lives. "We'll talk to her," Rick relented. "I moved Bracken to another abandoned location in Namibia. I'll go back after he spends a couple of days in the heat with no food or water. Maybe he'll be more willing to talk then," he told her.

"We really need to figure out what to do with the people we've already relocated," she reminded him. "Even Meredith," Kate said, making a face. She was not looking forward to having to deal with her again. "Meredith! I forgot all about her. What was she doing here in the first place?" He shook his head.

Rick moved over to the tablet and placed his sample on it. "Please scan and identify, B5."

"The sample provided is heroin. It was made in Turkey from the same area as the other samples," B5 informed them. Kate removed his sample and replaced it with one of her own. "What about mine?" she inquired.

"This sample is also heroin and is from Turkey, however this sample was made in a different area of Turkey," B5 responded.

"Great, there's at least one more processing area to deal with," Kate groaned. Rick removed her sample and pressed his finger to the tablet. "Download, analyze, and report on scan," he instructed B5.

"Scan is of a human male. Scan indicates that this person is heavily addicted to heroin," B5 replied. "ADDICTED!? Was that a scan of…" Rick interrupted her. "Yep, Bracken is addicted to heroin processed in Turkey which is being distributed and sold here," he said. "Maybe needing a fix and spending a few days in the sun with no water will loosen his tongue a little more than I was hoping for," he commented.

"We still need to pack," she reminded him. "Our flight doesn't leave until 11:50 pm tomorrow and arrives in Crete at 10:50 am," he advised her, so they had all day tomorrow to pack since they would probably sleep on the plane. "After they see our place we can fly to Athens and show your parents their 3 choices."

"Do I want to know what this is costing us?" Kate asked and watched Rick shake his head. He wasn't about to tell her that each of the four tickets was $12 thousand for first class seats.


	51. Chapter 51

**CH51**

Rick took the key that looked like it went to a safety deposit box, placed it on the tablet, and waited for B5 to process it. "What does it open?" he asked B5.

"The key itself is unremarkable. However there is a notation in one of Simmons' books that indicates a number which is likely a safe deposit box. In this case box 501. The number itself reduces the number of banks that it could be in since only a few banks in New York City have that many safe deposit boxes," B5 informed them and displayed a list along with a map of the banks' locations.

"How do we decide which bank? If we pick the wrong one they'll know we're not the owner of the box and call the police. Plus banks have lots of security cameras," Kate pointed out. She also knew the cameras could be taken care of. The problem was they couldn't erase the memory of the person who took them to the box.

"That's easy, I'll teleport directly into the safe, use the key, and simply unlock the other lock then find out what's inside the box," he stated. She was all set to start laughing at how stupidly simple it was when there was a knock on their bedroom door.

She ran for the closet while Rick went to the door since he wasn't dressed in all black looking like he had been out slinking around in Turkey and burning kilos of heroin.

"Johanna, what's on your mind?" he asked. "We've been talking and we wanted to thank you for what you are doing for us. We want to hear your plan and decide if it's what we want to do. And when exactly are we leaving and what are we doing when we get there?" Johanna was full of questions.

"Sure, go get Jim then Kate and I will explain. It'll give Kate time to finish getting dressed in something comfortable," Rick offered and watched Johanna leave to get her husband.

The four of them were soon sitting in the seating area of their bedroom. "Where to start," Rick sighed. "We've arranged for new passports that are actually dual citizenship passports that will allow you both and Kate to work there without any restrictions," he began.

"Where are we going?" Johanna asked. "Mom, our first stop is actually Frankfurt where we will change planes before continuing on to Crete," Kate explained. "GREECE!?" Johanna hadn't expected to actually leave the country. "Rick and I have been looking for a vacation home which might turn into our new home. We've selected three places using pictures. We're going there to look at them then decide which we like best and you two are coming with us. After that we're flying to Athens where we'll look at three houses, one of which you two will select to be yours if it becomes necessary to stay there longer than a few days," Kate told them.

"We don't have money to buy a house in Athens," Johanna said pointing out a flaw in the plan. "We're selling this place and our car along with selling your apartment and your car. Rick and I are fronting you the money you need to buy the place you like. Then we are going to go looking at office space. One for you two to open a law practice and an office for me," Kate informed them.

"You…we're…We don't even speak Greek and have never worked there. We don't know the laws or the system!" Johanna started poking holes in their plan.

"We need to go I'm afraid. Kate's right when she pointed out earlier that they would be back with either a larger force or one with lots of explosives. They'd simply blow this house to pieces with us in it," Rick said grimly. "As for learning to speak Greek, likely all of us will be in the same class."

"Why Greece?" Jim inquired. "Why not someplace that actually speaks English? England, Australia, Ireland, or Scotland maybe. Even Canada for that matter."

"Actually that's my fault. We were actually looking for a vacation home at the time. I shot down homes in Turkey, Malta, and Cyprus. Even one in Portugal...Lisbon actually. We trimmed the number down to three options on Crete. Oh, Kate also shot one down on an island near Venice, Italy. Though shooting that one down was hard," Rick replied. "It was mostly the isolation of the island that killed that one," Kate remarked.

"We're leaving tomorrow because we need to be gone before whoever sent those men learns his men have failed and we don't have time to look somewhere else. Hopefully this will actually turn out to be a vacation home, but if it's not, we need to be somewhere they wouldn't look," Rick explained.

"He can just follow us by our names, what airline we use, and where." Johanna shot another hole in their plan. "That won't happen since we will all have new names on our new passports," Kate countered. "What about driver's licenses, bank accounts, IRS forms?" Johanna wasn't done shooting holes in the plan. "We're taking our driver's licenses with us but won't be using them since we will have Greek licenses. We'll be transferring all of our bank accounts after we get there and we'll figure out what to tell the IRS when the time comes," Rick answered not intimidated by Johanna's questions.

"We're paying you back for all of it." Johanna pointed her finger at him. "EXCELLENT! That means you're on board with this. Are you packed? Need anything from your apartment?" Rick inquired sure that there were a lot of things.

"We have an entire apartment full of stuff and we only packed a week's worth of clothes to come here," Johanna reminded him, firing another hole in the plan.

Rick walked up to Jim and held out his hand. "Your apartment key please," he requested. He waited while Jim slowly pulled out his key ring and took off the key.

"After you chose your new home in Athens, you'll find everything but your furniture in it," he told them smiling since he was still out in front of Johanna's shots at their plan.

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The stolen car was now parked around the corner and the two SUVs were parked at the airport after Rick and Kate drove them there and simply teleported back home leaving the keys inside after pointing a finger at everything getting rid of any fingerprints.

Rick handed out everyone's new passports and other ID cards with everyone's new names that they would be using.

Richard Castle – Alexandros Kástro

Katherine Castle – Aikaterine Kástro

Jim Beckett – Dimitri Mitteket

Johanna Beckett – Koine Mitteket

"This says I've already been to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the United States, and even Canada." Johanna was shocked when she found the stamps on the blank pages of her passport. "They have to look real," Rick reminded her. "I hope we're up for this," Jo said, still not sure about this plan.

Jim and Johanna had talked a lot while packing. "Are you ok with this Jim?" Johanna dropped something into her suitcase which Jim noticed. "Our daughter is in danger and so are we by association. The people they're after need to be stopped Jo, you know that," he said as Johanna picked her top back up out of her suitcase and folded it properly. "We're lawyers. We simply need to get used to a different system. Right is right and wrong is wrong in New York or Athens. Besides I've never been to Greece before," Jim stated.

"And learning a new language at our age! Are you ready for that?" Johanna asked him. "To support our daughter? I'd learn two," Jim stated firmly which earned him a heartfelt kiss.

Johanna simply glared at Rick over the first class seats they were in, however after only an hour she was stretched out and asleep for the first leg of the flight, something she knew very well that she couldn't do in economy seats.

They were only staying one night on Crete before flying to Athens so Rick had booked a single executive suite for themselves and one for Kate's parents.

They all saw two houses the day they landed and one the day they left for Athens.

Jim and Johanna were amazed at the 16,000 square foot house, just not its location. Plus Kate kept talking about wanting to add an indoor pool which wasn't just about cost. What did they plan on doing about all of the humidity that an indoor pool would cause?

Still they all agreed on the one in Elounda, even if it didn't have the square footage they were looking for. Kate wasn't a fan of some of the furniture, it was just a little too modern for her taste. "You're going to redecorate anyway Katie no matter what place you buy. You're going to change the furniture, paint colors, and add things that make the place yours," Johanna had mentioned which got Kate to look at the place again with new eyes.

Athens was bigger and they needed more time so Rick made arrangements for a two night stay at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, booking Grand Suites for themselves and Jim and Johanna while they looked at houses.

The first house was in Plaka, an historic district. It was a detached house that was 450 square meters in size. It had six meter high ceilings, wood floors, 3 bedrooms with 2 bathrooms. They all loved the colors, exposed wood beam ceiling, and rooftop was until Jim and Johanna found out it was for sale at 3.9 million euros. "NO WAY! We would never be able to pay you back at that price." Johanna hustled everyone back outside and on their way to the next house.

They stayed in the Plaka historic district for the next house. Johanna didn't waste time and asked the cost first. "Look at it first Johanna, then ask the price. Besides it's the asking price, not the selling price," Rick fought back and led everyone inside. It was another detached house with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and was 580 square meters in size. It had 3 floors, a wine cellar, and a separate office space which had both of them almost sold. The kitchen was large though a little outdated, especially all of the appliances which would need to be replaced. "Look Jo, it has a bar." Jim walked into it and looked around. Whoever owned the home loved their alcohol since there were dozens of bottles and glasses with a sink. Johanna simply moaned and finally asked the price, only this time she asked their agent. 2.8 million euros. "We're leaving," Johanna announced and escorted everyone back outside.

The following day they went to the next place still in the Plaka historic district. It was 200 square meters in size with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms on 2 floors. The roof deck gave incredible views of the Acropolis just above them on a hill. The kitchen was the smallest of all of them, however, it was also the most modern and even had double ovens. "WOW!" Jim exclaimed when they entered the living room. There were 3 large floor-to-ceiling windows on 2 sides with 2 walls completely lined with book cases that were filled with books. There was even a balcony that had a sloped ceiling that had yet another large bookcase. It was perfect for a dual office space for them. The price of 1.3 million euros didn't scare off Johanna this time and Rick thought they might have a winner.

Rick arranged for a hotel room in the same hotel only smaller this time for 2 weeks for Jim and Johanna. "Spend the two weeks looking for office space for your law offices. Do some research and find out what it takes to work here and get used to the place."

"Kate and I have to go back and pick up Alexis and make arrangements for selling our two homes along with disposing of all the furniture and selling the cars. We'll be back in a few days and sign the paperwork for the two places after our agents haggle the price down a little," he informed them.

"It's nice Mom. I like it. It's not too big for you, it has an amazing view, and the best kitchen of the bunch. You just need to go shopping for furniture and books. We can pack up the kitchens and have everything shipped over." Kate gave them her 2 cents worth.

Rick and Kate didn't go to the airport to go back to New York. They had taken turns teleporting back and forth the past few days to feed and spend some time with Alexis since she had to stay behind. Taking her on the trip would have been a lot of trouble and how would they explain Alexis just showing up when she had been left behind?

"Hi Alexis." Kate tapped her chest to have Alexis jump up so she could hug her.

"Divide and conquer? You take their home and see what should be packed and what needs to be sold or donated while I take their car," Rick suggested. Kate smiled and kissed him. "Back here in 2 hours?" she asked before she and Alexis disappeared in a swirl of clouds, followed by Rick a moment later.

Rick had gotten the paperwork from Jim and Johanna and was free to find a place that would buy the car outright since it was paid for. Kate and Alexis were back a moment later. "Babe what about our…car?" Kate was too late to catch him and so she teleported back to her parents' apartment building.

Kate put Alexis down, walked down the hall to her parents' door, and put the key in the look to unlock it but found it already unlocked. "Mom said she locked it," she said uneasily while looking down at Alexis who instantly turned into a tiger and sniffed.

She opened the door slowly and looked inside with fingers at the ready. Inside she found the place a complete disaster which shocked her. She pointed at the bedrooms and watched Alexis slowly walk towards them while Kate headed for the kitchen. It wasn't easy with all the mess. The kitchen was equally destroyed with broken drawers, smashed plates, and shattered glasses littering the place. Even the refrigerator and freezer had been searched, as well as the space behind it. It had been left unplugged, spoiling everything.

She watched Alexis walk into the kitchen still as a tiger. "They wrecked the place Alexis. Just because they're my parents." She wished more now than ever that she had never used her name. Kate was ready to collapse onto a chair, except she couldn't since they were all broken.

"I wonder if the neighbors called the police because of the noise. Not that the police would have shown up since Montgomery would have put a stop to it," she said to herself.

They were being noticed and the bad guys were fighting back. "Search the place sweetie. See if you can find any DNA that we can use to ID these people," she asked Alexis. Kate started scanning the place with her finger to download it onto B5 later. She watched Alexis as a cat walking around the place sniffing at everything.

"Come on Alexis, time to leave." She picked up Alexis and didn't know how she was going to explain this to her parents. Except for some clothes, a few books, and a few pictures, the entire place was a write-off.

Kate showed up and found Rick in the dining room talking to B5. "We have a problem babe," she said and put Alexis down on the dining room table. She placed her finger on the panel for download. The images she had scanned of the apartment came up on the screen. "God Kate!" He kept watching. "You know we're next," he remarked. She knew that already. "Any trouble with the car?" she asked, changing the subject.

"No problem, selling it like this didn't get us what it's worth but that wasn't really the point," he responded. "What about our car?" she asked. "Our car is already gone. Just like this house and everything in it will be when we officially move," he pointed out. At first she didn't understand until the light bulb went on. "Our friendly alien, Key."

"I didn't buy the house, the furniture, or the car. It was all here waiting for me when I got back," he reminded her. "How do we move the DRDs and B5?" She had gotten used to the DRDs cleaning the house and using B5. "The DRDs will be downloaded into B5 and then taken apart by each other til the last one which we will have to take apart ourselves. As for moving B5, that's the easiest part." He didn't explain further since they weren't yet ready to move.

"We need to get dressed babe and go get Maddie's desserts if we're going to attend that wedding," she said. He didn't understand why she wanted to go to a person's wedding that neither of them knew. Still if it made her happy then he would suffer through talking and celebrating with people he had never met and would likely never see again.

It did, however, cause them to drive to Q3 to pick up the desserts since teleporting there would raise questions. "Hi, we're here for a take-out order of 20 to 30 desserts. Madison is expecting us," Kate told the woman at the reservation desk. "The Castle party, of course. Let me tell Madison that you are here." She went into the kitchen and was back out with Madison right behind her. "Becks!" Madison hugged and kissed her. "Rick." Rick got the same treatment.

"Your desserts are in bags hiding behind the bar." Madison walked them over and started pulling them out and placing them on the bar as Rick and Kate start loading up their hands. "What do we owe you?" Rick asked, not sure just how he was going to reach his wallet with his hands full.

"Nothing, here are a hundred of my cards." Madison found one of Rick's jacket pockets and stuffed the box into it. "And I expect pictures, I love weddings. I'll also be over to view your wedding again soon." Kate wished she could tell her they were moving to Crete and her parents to Athens, but she didn't want Maddie involved in this mess. It was best to keep her out of it for now.

"I'm also available for babysitting. I could use the practice," Madison hinted. Kate opened her eyes wide. "You're pregnant?" Kate asked astonished. "Not me silly, you. Now go, go and have fun." Madison shooed them out the door and helps them load their car, which wasn't easy given how little space there was. Kate was actually sitting with some in her lap.

Madison waved bye and went back inside with a big smile on her face. Kate hadn't corrected Maddie about being pregnant. Suddenly she was all giddy thinking about the possibility of a baby.

Rick drove to a parking garage that only had a security camera at the entrance and exit. From there they gathered up all of their bags and disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

The wedding turned out to be in a church. "We have an invitation from Gina. She said the reception was part potluck. We brought a number of desserts that are going to knock your socks off." Kate lifted up her bags to prove the point. They were escorted to the reception table where they added their goodies at the end of the table while Rick spread Madison's card for Q3 around all of the desserts.

Rick and Kate ended up on Gina's side. They both noticed her side was filled with men and a few women in uniform while the other side was dressed in formal dresses and suits. Each of the women were escorted down the aisle by their fathers. They listened to each of them give their individual wedding vows. Rick leaned over to Kate and whispered, "We are so creating our own vows when we renew ours." She opened her eyes wide, gasped, and looked at Rick who was watching the wedding again. Her mouth was opening and closing like a fish as her heart pounded in her chest. RENEW THEIR VOWS!? Kate loved him all over again. They would stand up there and tell the world that they loved each other. She kissed his cheek and went back to watching the wedding while trying to get her heart rate under control.

They both got to meet the brides in the reception area. "Kate right?" Gina greeted them."We were happy to come and your wedding was truly lovely." Kate held her lightly and kissed her cheek. "Gina, this is my husband Rick. Rick this is Gina who works with a Rear Admiral in the Coast Guard." Kate made introductions and reminded Rick where she met Gina.

"Richard Castle?" Lisa, the other bride, turned to greet them. "I just started reading one of your books. I'm told it has been on the best sellers list." She was excited. "You didn't tell me you invited a famous author babe." Lisa glared at Gina. "I didn't know. I invited Kate and asked her to bring her husband with her. I didn't know Rick was Richard Castle!" Gina said defending herself.

They watched Lisa and Gina dance with their fathers and listened to people talk about them including the Rear Admiral. Rear Admiral Korn introduced Kate to his wife.

Rick and Kate went down the line and picked small amounts of food here and there and left their deserts behind since they had brought them for the wedding guests, not them.

"I'm biased but I like your wedding dress better," Rick leaned into Kate and whispered to her. It earned him a quick kiss to his cheek.

Suddenly they felt something being pressed into their backs. "We're leaving and we're doing it quietly. It would be a shame if either or both of the lesbos ended up shot along with countless guests and family," the two men behind them threatened.


	52. Chapter 52

**CH52**

Neither Kate nor Rick doubted at any time that what they felt pressed against their backs weren't weapons and that they most likely were equipped with silencers. They also had no uncertainties that these men would do exactly what they threatened to do.

They were escorted outside and found two more men waiting for them by a panel van with someone else in the driver's seat. The van's side door was open, and the men behind them used zip ties to secure their hands behind their backs. Rick and Kate were shoved inside and sat on the metal floor with three men pointing their silenced weapons at them. The front seats were occupied with two more men, one of which was armed. They assumed the driver probably was as well.

She knew they could free themselves and take all five of them with no problem and looked at Rick who simply, with a tiny movement of his eyes, told her no. Kate in turned glared at him. "Why the hell not!" was what her eyes were saying. He gave her a tiny, almost missed smile. "Play along" was written all over that look.

The ride turned out to be a long one and they both were getting tired of sitting on the metal floor in an uncomfortable position. The back windows of the van were blacked out so there was nothing to see and from their positions they couldn't see out the front very well. Plus one of the armed men was blocking the view. It didn't seem to Kate that they were traveling very fast and from the way the driver was cursing, it was a two-lane road and he was trapped behind someone driving too slow.

There were a number of turns at a slow speed until they finally stopped and the side door slid back. Three of the men got out then dragged Kate and Rick out of the van.

A quick look around told them that they were at an airport. It was a small airport that had a number of one engine planes lined up wingtip to wingtip down a grass field next to the single tarmac landing strip. There was also a long row of hangars on one side. "Is that a Fokker DR. I?" Rick questioned as he saw at least 6 WWI fighter planes lined up wingtip to wingtip.

He was yanked into an empty hangar along with Kate right behind him. "Sit down and shut-up." Two of the men shoved them down onto the concrete floor. One of the men walked away with a cell phone at his ear. Another man grabbed a chair and sat not far away watching them closely. Two moved to the now closed hangar door as one of them stepped outside through the side door in the hangar. The other two went into a small office, used the local landline phone, then came back out to talk with the guy who had the cell phone.

"We can take them," Kate barely whispered to Rick who was sitting close by her. "We wait. They haven't killed us meaning someone is coming who wants something," he whispered back scarcely making a sound.

Kate however wanted to take them and then wait for whomever. "There's a signal." She finally caught up to Rick's thinking. "CIA?" she whispered. "Airpark means he will fly in. We wait," he replied almost silently.

"Where are we?" Kate asked so softly that she could scarcely hear her own voice. "South tip of Florida. The Red Baron plane makes it likely the Ocean Reef Club Airport. A little north of the highway to Key West." Rick loved to read and he was full of trivial information that came in handy from time to time.

Kate sighed and leaned up against Rick to rest while trying not to fall asleep on him. It felt like hours. "I'm thirsty and need to pee," she commented softly. "A little water?" Rick asked looking at the guy who was still sitting in his rickety-looking metal chair. "Shut-up," was the response he got. "Come on, one little cup of water," he tried again. The thug got up and slammed the butt of his gun into the side of Rick's face which forced his entire body down onto the floor. "HEY ASSHOLE!" Kate exclaimed only to have him place the business end of his weapon against her forehead. "I said shut-up," he growled, pushing his gun harder against her forehead.

"Leave them alone! They need to be able to talk," one of the other men yelled. "FINE!" He moved the gun away from her head and fired a round at her knee that only just grazed her leg which started to bleed some. Even with the silencer the sound inside the hangar was still a bit loud. "She can still talk with a round in her leg," he hollered. "And you get to make sure she doesn't bleed to death before she talks," the same guy shouted back. "Yeah, yeah," he grumbled and went back to sit in his chair.

"You alright?" Rick asked Kate as he rolled over and sat up, not trying to be quiet any longer. "It stings a bit but I'm fine. It's nothing compared to what I'm going to do to him," she said, glaring at the man who shot her.

"I thought I told you two to shut-up." He pointed his weapon at them. "Pain can be a great motivator. Especially the pain of having your knee cap shot off. Now shut the fuck up!" he yelled at them.

"He's first," Kate stated plainly for the three of them to hear.

Kate was slumped against Rick when the guy with the cell phone got a call. "ONE HOUR!" he hollered after hanging up and went to talk to one of the men who promptly left taking another guy with him.

"Any guesses?" she softly whispered. "CIA, and the guys in the tower are about to die," he surmised. "BABE!?" She didn't like the idea of someone dying when they could prevent it.

"You take these three and I'll take the two that just left. Pray that CIA doesn't need another all clear signal before he lands," Rick said and cut his zip tie just as Kate did. He pointed a finger at the asshole in the chair who started smiling.

Rick disappeared in a swirling cloud as Kate stood up. "You're tired, really tired, and need a nap," she told the asshole as she took his weapon and field-stripped it, keeping a small piece before giving it back to him.

"HEY!" a new voice yelled causing her to duck behind the guy in the chair who took a round in his shoulder. She followed that up by pointing a finger at each of the two remaining men. She soon had three tired, sleeping men as she field-stripped all of the weapons they had on them. Suddenly the side door opened causing Kate to point a finger only to lower it as Rick stepped in and closed the door.

"They're taking a nap in another section of Namibia. We need that cell phone," he pointed out as they both began looking for it. He found it holding it up. "Now we strip these three and give them a new home," he told Kate and started cutting the clothes off of the closest one to him.

It only took minutes until Rick and Kate were alone again. "How did they know we were there or going to be there?" she questioned. "Who did you talk to while you were at the Coast Guard base?" he asked. "Just Rear Admiral Korn and Gina. Though the place was filled with people working there," she replied.

"So the Admiral is dirty, Gina is dirty, or the place is bugged like the assistant director of the FBI's New York field office," he suggested. "Meaning they took a chance and sent a team to the wedding in the hope of getting us?" she queried. "Maybe they're desperate. They missed you at your parents' apartment. They missed all of us at our house.

We're burning their heroin both here in the States and in Turkey which is costing them millions. Losing their processing building in Turkey will slow them down," Rick posited.

Rick and Kate were both standing at the side door while watching outside for any new arrivals. Plane, car, truck, tank, RV, they didn't know what to expect. "If this is the CIA guy I wouldn't put it past him to have a military fighter escort for his jet, car, RV, or whatever it is he shows up in." Rick was guessing this guy was their guy. Get him and the mission was officially complete. They just had to clean up the mess; the men they had dropped off all over, and Bracken still needed to be interrogated and dealt with.

"What do we do with your ex-wife?" Kate asked. It caught Rick a little off guard. Just how had she known he was thinking ahead of things to be resolved after they got this guy? Rick wiped the shocked look off his face. "Part of me wants to know what the hell she is doing here, while part of me just wants her to go away and stay gone." He really was conflicted.

Kate did her best to wipe the smirk off her face because she had understood what Rick was thinking. "Speaking of your ex-wife…I'll be right back." She kissed his cheek and was gone in a swirl of clouds, only to return a moment later with Alexis in her arms.

She put Alexis down. "Go outside and keep watch. We're expecting the number one bad guy and he may be bringing some of his friends," Kate told her.

"Meow!" _On it_ _M_ _om and_ _D_ _ad._

They watched Alexis bound away to look the place over. "When we were in Turkey she walked right into the warehouse where they were unloading the truck. Scared the absolute hell out of me. I thought for sure she was going to get herself killed which would kill me." Kate explained after seeing the look on Rick's face. "And?" he asked. "Alexis said she was a cat. Who's afraid of a house cat?" she replied. "I hear a 'but' in this story," Rick said warily. She smiled as she looked up at him. "She was walking around armed killers with my heart. She had a point but that didn't erase my fears for her safety."

That earned Kate a soul-searching kiss from Rick. "You're going to make a terrific mother," he said fervently seeing the look of 'What was that for?' on her face. Their thoughts were interrupted when the cell phone they had taken off of one of the men started to ring. "We don't answer and he doesn't show," he pointed out. "If there is a code that we don't know, he won't show," she added. Still it got Rick to answer the call and place it so both of them could hear. Except all they heard was silence on the other end. "Clear," he told whomever and noticed that the call had ended. "Guess now we wait," he offered and pocketed the phone.

It took a few minutes but Kate thought she spotted something and pointed. It was a personal jet and it was a big one, too. It was coming in for a landing. They stood there and watched. "It's not slowing down," Rick pointed out. "There must be a visual signal to go with the phone call," she guessed but she didn't know what to do about it.

Then she watched Rick disappear in a swirl of clouds. "Oh god, what is he up to?" Kate looked out at the jet when he suddenly showed up right in front of it, pointed, then was gone only to find him standing next to her again. Kate was all set to ask what he had done and berate him for just how stupid he had been! Only she noticed she no longer heard the jet's engines running.

"You shut down his engines." She was impressed. "He has a mechanical failure that will require hours to fix. Let's see him take off with no power." He grinned at her.

Kate was still contemplating hitting him for taking the risk but if this worked and their CIA guy was on-board, it was worth the risk. They both watched the jet coast down the runway until it finally stopped. It left both of them wondering what was being talked about inside the jet. A whole lot of cursing came to mind.

"Now what?" Kate asked since she had an idea, but it had its own dangers. "I'm thinking we wait. No one gets off that plane without us seeing them. Teleporting on-board has its risks," Rick suggested which kind of shot down what she was thinking of doing.

"We wait too long and he'll have half the National Guard out here and even we can't do anything about that." She was exaggerating, or at least she hoped she was. "Then let's smoke him out. He already has an engine problem." Rick smiled and disappeared in a swirl of clouds.

She looked at the plane and saw Rick arrive directly under the tail of the jet. He pointed at each engine then reappeared next to her. Kate was all set to ask what he did, when both engines caught fire and smoke started billowing. "Get ready, he's likely to have armed guards on-board with him," he warned as they both waited and watched.

Suddenly there was a big whoosh of what looked like a large white cloud that enveloped each engine putting out the fire, though it still smoked some. "Fire extinguisher. I really need to read up on airplanes more." Rick hung his head.

"Who can he really call? I mean he's dealing in drugs and this isn't Manhattan, taking Montgomery out of the picture at least for now," she remarked, knowing they would have to deal with the dirty cops at some point. "True, but the people at his work likely don't know that. He could be calling in CIA operatives that aren't involved in his drug trade. It depends on where he is in the CIA hierarchy," he said.

"We need them out of that plane before help arrives or we may miss our chance." Kate started looking around the empty hangar. "Maybe a fire on the inside?" she questioned and was gone in a swirl of clouds, only to appear next to the front landing gear where she pointed a finger up at the plane then was back beside Rick once more.

"It's a nice, expensive, modern jet with electronics for aviation instruments," she said smiling, as Rick chuckled and kissed Kate on the cheek. They kept watching but saw nothing.

"MEOW!" _WE HAVE COMPANY!_ Alexis had shown up catching them both off guard, having been so intent on watching the plane.

The company turned out to be an airport security SUV that was driving towards the jet blocking the end of their runway. "Great! Another complication," Rick moaned and vanished in a cloudy twist. Kate watched him appear just behind the SUV, point a finger at it, and then disappear again.

The SUV coasted to a stop well short of the jet with the single guard getting out and talking on his radio. "He's likely calling in reinforcements," Kate mentioned, which was still not good news. "We don't need more innocent people involved in this mess," she complained and was gone in a swirl of clouds.

Rick kept watching, expecting Kate to show up and remove the security guy from harm, but he never saw her. Instead he watched the security guard walk to the jet while still holding onto his portable radio. She returned about the same time as he reached the jet. "The guys in the control tower are now sleeping this off. He can talk all he likes but no one is listening or watching," she informed him which made Rick start smiling. At least they weren't just reacting to events that were happening but trying to prevent some of them.

Meanwhile the security guard had reached the plane and was using his baton to knock on the jet's door. He did it once more before it opened. When the door opened they watched in disbelief as the security guard fell to the tarmac and never moved again. "They shot him babe! They just shot him." Kate's blood was boiling. All those people did was kill.

"Meow!" _This has to stop_ _D_ _ad_ _!_

They watched as two armed men came out of the plane. One of them searched the security guard and came up with car keys while the other swept the area. They were followed by three more men, one looking like he might be the pilot while one was armed. They all quickly walked to the SUV and got inside. "Wait...wait," Rick whispered then he bent down to Alexis. "Tiger please." Alexis almost instantly shifted to a Bengal tiger as all of the men bailed out of the car that was dead thanks to Rick and started walking. "We'll use the SUV as cover," Rick told Kate. "And …NOW!"

The three of them were gone in a swirl of clouds and arrived at the front bumper of the SUV. They pointed fingers and watched all 5 of the men relax, lowering any weapons that they had. "Divide and conquer," he said and took hold of one of the guards and was gone. "Keep watch Alexis." And Kate did the same with another of the guards.

He was soon back for the other guard while Kate came back and waited for him. "CIA and pilot?" she questioned. "Maybe, but which one is which?" he countered. She was momentarily perplexed since she meant where did we take them. He meant which one was CIA.

"You think they switched clothes? They're about the same height and weight," Kate commented. "You take yours someplace while I take mine someplace. We'll strip them and give the clothes to B5. If they didn't switch only their DNA should be on the corresponding clothes," Rick said. He and his guy were gone followed by Kate and her guy. Rick was soon back to pick up Alexis who was back in cat form.

They met up in their bedroom and downloaded what they had scanned onto B5's panel. "Okay B5. Have our two supposed civilians changed clothes with each other?" Rick asked the first million dollar question. "Correct," B5 responded. "YES!" he pumped his fist while Kate just smiled at him. "Now which one is which? Did our CIA guy fly himself in or did he have a pilot?" They still had a problem. "Show us a rundown of their clothes, please, B5."

"See what I see?" he asked turning to look at Kate. She had to admit that she didn't see a thing and shook her head. "Maybe this will help. B5, please show the cost breakdown of each piece of clothing," he asked her. Only when B5 was finished did Kate whistle. "But this really doesn't help us," she pointed out. "It does if you look at the shoe size," he responded. "They don't match!" She finally caught on. "Meaning our CIA guy is still wearing his expensive shoes," she announced. "We got him!" She started dancing and Rick joined her.

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It was 5 days later and Kate had arranged for a company to come out and box up whatever was not damaged in her parents apartment save for the furniture which wasn't going to be shipped to Greece anyway.

Rick had interrogated Bracken who was very helpful while he watched Rick drink water. Bracken hadn't had anything to drink for a number of days. That and he never took his eyes off the heroin cigarette that was in Rick's other hand. Rick had even brought a bottle of sunscreen and sunburn cream that he had shown Bracken.

He had left all of it behind while he went to both of Bracken's residences and found incriminating evidence right where Bracken said it was. With some of this information Rick had Bracken's money that was located in an offshore account. Now he and Kate just needed to figure out what to do with it that would help counter all of the pain these people had put everyone through.

Rick also made two more of his devices and left them at the locations of two warehouses he got from Bracken.

Kate meanwhile was picking up all of the men they had dropped off. They were all in very bad shape. Sunburnt and dehydrated in the extreme as well as naked. She left all of them along with information that would keep them in prison for life in the office of the new assistant director of the FBI New York field office.

According to the listening device in the office that B5 had continued to monitor, the assistant director was extremely surprised. He demanded to know how all those naked men had gotten into his office past all of the building's security measures.

Kate even found a place for Meredith who was also sunburnt, a little dehydrated, and thanks to Kate, was now naked. She left Meredith in the same hotel room that she took her from. However she left her naked in the tub that was filled with sand. Burying her in the tub actually under all of that sand.

The only people that Rick and Kate didn't have enough information on that would convict them were the three dirty cops. It didn't however stop Kate from putting the fear of god into them. Plus a screaming wife when he got home likely carried a lot of weight. Maybe Montgomery would turn over a new leaf now that he wasn't under anyone's thumb. As for the other two, …


	53. Chapter 53

**CH53**

 **Epilogue**

 **It is now a year later:**

Kate rolled out of bed still half asleep, moaning about how Rick had never warned her about this part. The noise had awakened her. It was a gloriously happy noise that filled her heart with love. A love that even Rick couldn't give her, except that he actually had.

"I'm coming baby, mommy's coming." Kate made it to the crib that was in their room. "Hi my handsome young man. Who's my good boy? You are, aren't you," she cooed at him. He stopped crying at the sound of his mother's voice. "I'll bet you're hungry again aren't you? Let's just check if your clean first shall we?" She stroked the tiny amount of hair on his head and changed his diaper knowing that it would need to be changed.

"There now, doesn't that feel better?" Kate picked him up, sat down in her rocker, then lifted her night shirt up to expose her breast, a much-larger-than-it-had-ever-been-before breast. She had been teasing Rick ever since their son had been born that her breasts belonged to the baby now. Rick had his chance at her larger breasts while she was pregnant and they had both enjoyed every minute of the attention he had paid to her breasts.

Kate felt Alex latch onto her nipple, her milk letting him quiet down while she rocked.

She was just starting to wonder where everyone was when suddenly Rick and Alexis arrived in a swirl of clouds. "You got in late last night. Did you solve your case?" Rick asked as he walked into the bathroom while Alexis sat on the bed and watched her little brother nurse.

"It turns out she really was a runaway from a home filled with abuse," Kate told them.

"That's terrible Mom. How can parents do that to their children?" Alexis had a lot to learn after making her decision.

"I know sweetie, but not every child is born into a caring home with parents who love them. I wish they were, but life just doesn't work that way. But your father and I love you and we always will." Kate was still worried that Alexis was jealous of the baby.

"I know you do Mom and I love you and Dad…and Alex. Was I really that little Dad?" Alexis turned her head to look into the bathroom where Rick had gone. He walked out after washing up a little. "Actually you were a bit smaller with a full head of orange hair." He sat down next to her and kissed her cheek while ruffling her really long orange hair.

"And my mommy didn't want me." Alexis was learning about that too. "I love you Alexis and even though I didn't give birth to you, you own my heart as much as your Daddy does and little Alex here as well. I'm so happy to be your mother," Kate said fervently. Rick hugged Alexis, something he had been sure he was never going to get to do ever again.

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 **About Eight Months Earlier:**

Everyone except for Bracken and Hunt (CIA) had been left with the FBI and according to the bug that they still hadn't found the new assistant director was still hoping mad that all those naked men had gotten into his new office without anyone noticing. Still it had been a goldmine for cleaning up the New York City area. A feather in his cap so to speak.

"I kinda feel bad about leaving those two to rot in the desert." Kate offers. "I don't, ... ok not totally. Bracken was likely to get elected President and space out while hooked on heroin that Hunt provided and get us all killed." Rick points out.

"And they both hired all of those men to kill people to cover-up what they were doing." Kate shook her head. "I just hope we got them all or we're going to have to do this all over again."

They both knew they didn't have much on Hunt. His office in Langley was empty when they got to it. It had been cleaned before they even got to it. So someone somewhere knew something and cleaned it all up. Or perhaps took over. They had both had a long talk about that possibility.

Rick and Kate, along with Johanna and Jim, were in one of their realtor's offices signing all the forms for their home in Crete. Tomorrow the four of them would fly to Athens to have Jim and Johanna sign for their home in Athens. After that Rick and Kate would go to another office to sign still more forms for their boat. Okay...yacht since it was technically just over 68 feet long.

As soon as all of her parents' boxes from the States showed up with what was left of their apartment, they were going to take the yacht over to her new mooring in Crete. They were actually paying for two mooring slots, one in Crete and one in Athens, so that when they came to Athens they had a place to dock when they wanted to go see her parents.

They had both spent time on the yacht getting to know her and where to get fuel from in both locations. It had two large diesel engines along with an emergency generator that ran on the same diesel fuel. 845 gallons would get them 240 miles while the 251 gallons of fresh water would last them for a while. The declared cruising speed was 31 were larger yachts but those people thought they needed to travel hundreds of miles and the cost was 10 times what they had spent for theirs. A few even had a helicopter deck. Kate was happy with this size.

She had questioned Rick as to how they were going to move B5. "You never wondered how B5 was on the dining room wall with another home just the other side of this wall?" Rick asked her as he rapped his knuckles on the wall. "There's another home right next to us and yet the medical bed slides out of a wall that's a fire-rated wall that divides us from them. Aren't you curious as to how that happens?" Rick queried again. "B5 shut down for transport," he ordered.

"Acknowledged," B5 responded. The lights went out but it still looked like B5. Kate watched him carry a ladder into the room. He touched each upper corner then the center section at the very bottom and watched as B5 rolled up and moved down the wall until she was a big tube in the middle of the wall that Rick picked up and removed. Then he did something that really surprised her. He compressed each end until B5 was about the size of a baseball bat. Kate's mouth was hanging open as she stared at Rick. "Seriously!?"

He spun the tube in his hand to show that it also had almost no weight. "They really are more advanced than we are aren't they?" She was still amazed at what their alien friends were capable of.

"We still need to pack for our honeymoon," Rick reminded her. They were going to be gone for a week while her parents got used to being in Athens, living in the hotel he had arranged for them.

They had been talking with her parents while they packed up the house which gave Kate another surprise. They were leaving today and Rick had spent the morning taking the last DRD unit apart after being downloaded into B5. The parts were packed and waiting for the moving company along with everything else except the furniture and the books.

Kate was eating the breakfast bar with Rick and Alexis when the dining room table vanished. "What happened to the table and chairs?" she squeaked in surprise. "You remember the room you stayed in during your training?" Rick asked her. Kate nodded. "Everything in this house is just like everything was in your space and mine. When we get to our new home they will read our minds and give us the furniture and colors that we both agree on. The furniture that came with the house will be replaced. There will also be a car waiting for us just like I had a car here waiting for me," he explained.

"Signing for the house is a mere formality since we're not actually buying it or the car. Now your parents' home - that we are paying for along with the boat we're getting. The house and car come with our being assigned to this planet. We work with B5 and the DRDs will keep the house clean and secure from intruders just like they did here," he told her. "Just like all of the other agents on other planets."

"Meow? Meow." _May I go with you? I want to go too._

"On our honeymoon?" Kate exclaimed in surprise. "I…suppose so. Where are we going anyway?" She had a new topic to question him about. "We're going to a planet called Apalapucia. The planet was voted Number 2 in the Top Ten Destinations for the Discerning Intergalactic Traveler, and boasts soaring spires, silver colonnades, and the mirrored Glasmir Mountains. The planet has a pinkish-purple sky and an oxygen-rich atmosphere." Rick was smiling widely, pleased with his choice.

"WE'RE GOING TO ANOTHER PLANET!?" She couldn't believe it and launched herself into Rick's arms and kissed him soundly. "We're going to another planet! …How are we getting there?" Kate asked him. "The same way you got from their planet to Earth," Rick stated flatly as though it was obvious. "We're teleporting? …We can do that?" Kate thought it was just on Earth. Interstellar teleporting hadn't come up in her training.

"Meow?" _Can I come too?_

"Does this place accept cats? If not, we need to find somewhere else to go." It may be their honeymoon but leaving Alexis behind didn't sound like an option. Who was going to look after her? Her parents?

"Meow." _Not as a cat._ Alexis had a secret and prayed her dad and mom wouldn't be angry with her.

"As a tiger? I'm not sure that is such a good idea sweetie." What would the aliens on this planet do with them as they walked around with a 600 pound plus Bengal tiger?

"Meow." _As a girl._ Alexis was scared and she sounded like it too.

"It's not time and it only lasts an hour." Kate was confused. Rick had his head down and was looking directly into Alexis's eyes. "Alexis!?" He was frightened and confused.

"Meow." _Please don't be mad Dad._ Alexis crouched way down onto the island counter.

"Meow." _You needed me as a cat and tiger Dad._

Hearing that had Kate put her head down next to Rick's as she looked at Alexis face to face. "What are you saying Alexis?"

"Meow, Meow." _I can be a little girl, but I can never go back to being a cat._

Rick touched Alexis's head with both hands. "You can be…all this time you could have been my little girl!?" He didn't know whether he was angry or filled with joy.

"Meow." _You needed me as a cat Dad._

"Alexis sweetie, are you telling us that you can be a little girl permanently?" Kate didn't dare dream it was even possible.

"Meow." _Please don't be angry._

Rick only knew he had to pick her up and hug her close as tears flowed down his face. "I only ever wanted my little girl back. …You can actually do this?" His voice cracked as he questioned her between kissing her fur.

"Meow." _There is a price to pay._

"Meaning you have to give up being a cat or a tiger." Kate was catching up to what Alexis was saying.

"I don't care. MY GOD ALEXIS! I was positive I had lost you forever. Getting to keep you as a cat, tiger, or you for an hour was a small price to pay. Why pumpkin, why?" Rick would have been happy to have his little girl back even if she was a construct.

"Meow. Meow." _I couldn't help you on missions. You needed me._

"I needed you as my daughter." Rick's crying had increased as had Kate's. "What changed sweetie?" Kate asked as she petted Alexis who was still in Rick's arms.

"Meow." _Dad has you now._

"I'm your dad's backup now and he doesn't need you to watch his back anymore, right?" Kate asked, thinking she understood.

"Meow." _I want to be part of a family._ It was Alexis's most heartfelt wish that she had ever had, even when she was sick.

"Oh pumpkin, you were always part of the family." Rick planted his face into Alexis's fur and cried longingly.

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Kate tossed a burp cloth on her shoulder and patted Alex until he burped. She laid him on her lap to play with him, blowing raspberries on his belly while playing with his arms and little fingers.

"Is the boat loaded?" she inquired since that was what these two were supposed to have been doing yesterday. "We went shopping for clothes first since I didn't have much. We stocked the galley with canned food and perishables then made sure the fuel and water tanks were all filled so we're good to go," Rick told her.

That was one more thing they needed to take care of for Alexis. Rick, Kate, and even Alex had lots and lots of clothes while Alexis only had 2 or 3 outfits that would fit. "I'm betting that my mother already has a room full of clothes for both of them," Kate commented.

That brought up another memory: They had teleported everything that was boxed in their house over to the new one and had mounted B5 on a wall in the exercise room that also had a steam shower, a sauna, and a half bath in the same room. It was actually the largest blank wall in the house.

Kate knocked on the door of her parents' hotel room with Rick and Alexis, their little girl, right next to her. This was going to be epic, she just knew it. It was their first day back in Athens after getting everything into their home. Then they had taken their new boat over to its mooring near Athens.

"Katie and Rick! Come in…who's this?" Johanna didn't recognize the little girl. "Let's go inside Mom." They found Jim sitting at a table with a laptop reading about Greece laws. Actually they both had been reading; they had a lot to learn.

"Mom, Dad, this is Alexis. Alexis, these are my parents Johanna and Jim." Kate was pretty sure Alexis already knew that but it didn't hurt to make introductions.

"Alexis? Alexis is a cat, Katie," Johanna countered, knowing Alexis was sometimes a tiger as well. "Alexis the cat is a construct, Mom, who can turn herself into a tiger when she thinks it's necessary or when we ask her to. What we didn't tell you is that she can also be a little girl. Only now it's permanent," Kate gently told them.

"Alexis the cat is actually a child?" Johanna didn't get it. "And I'm betting you can't tell us." Kate scrunched up her face. "I'm so sorry Mom." Kate knew this was hard on her. "I expect to be told everything on my death bed Katie or I'm taking you with me when I go," Johanna threatened her.

Alexis wasted no time. She stepped in close and hugged Johanna. "Hi Grams. I couldn't let those men hurt you." Her words were enough to get Johanna to laugh a little and then began crying softly and hugged Alexis tight. She had a granddaughter!

Alexis went over and hugged Jim. "Hi Gramps." He didn't understand it either and yet his instinct was to hug her back.

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"We need to get the bottles out of the refrigerator from what I've pumped and grab the diaper bag so we can go," Kate said hurriedly. "I'll get the bottles Mom." Alexis ran to the kitchen to load up another bag with the bottles since she knew what to do.

"How are you doing babe?" Kate softly asked Rick. "She kept a secret from me because she thought I needed backup for my missions, when all I ever wanted was my daughter back." He wasn't angry, just shocked. The tears over her secret had long since dried up.

"She was a child when she made that choice babe. She wanted to keep you safe. She wanted you with her as much as you wanted her," Kate tenderly told him. "I still have so many questions," he said anxiously. She kissed him. "You and B5 can have a nice long chat when we get back," she replied trying to soothe him.

"How is your job progressing? Are you liking it?" Rick was hopeful since it had cost a pretty penny to remodel the space Kate had chosen here in town on Crete. "It's great, I feel like I'm actually accomplishing something." She beamed at him. "You really didn't have to spend that much money babe." She had given up chastising him over the cost.

Her office, when she selected it, had almost nothing in it. The front glass and front door were replaced with bullet proof glass from floor to ceiling while the door was replaced with one made of solid steel. Also for the door to work as security, the door frame and the wall it was attached to had to be reinforced.

"Rick, I don't need this much security," she had argued. "When you take a case that was like yours, you'll be taking on people who make money off of these women. Do you really think they're going to take this lying down?" he had said heatedly. So Kate's office was reinforced.

Just inside was a huge wall that was backlit by a projector that would put up Kate's face whenever anyone entered. It was this initial meeting that would tell Kate if she would take the case or not. After passing the preliminary questions they got through the door in this wall to her real office.

The stairs had been changed so that they were now more like emergency stairs, side by side instead of one long continuous strip. All of the walls had been painted and the furniture was colorful and comfortable. Kate had a mini kitchen installed upstairs while the bathroom, that wasn't even there when she purchased the place, was downstairs including a shower. The kitchen even had a table that would seat four.

"How many cases are you working on now?" Rick asked as he sat in his chair while piloting their boat over to Greece. "Only three. Two of them, I think, are runaways, however, the other one just might be human trafficking." Kate had high hopes for that one. She wanted to find the woman of course, but what she really wanted were the people who took her in the first place, to make the person who had her pay a price.

"I take it she fits the profile?" he inquired. "Beautiful, fit and trim, and young enough to last a few years. Yeah, she fits the profile perfectly. Plus she just up and disappeared from a loving home. Her parents remind me of mine. Hearing them crying and pleading makes me think of what mine went through with me." Thinking about that day again made Kate's eyes water. It had been painful listening to her clients.

"Please remember to ask me for help if you need it. We don't have a mission at the moment and I'm being Mr. Mom while I write," he reminded her not to do this alone. "I haven't forgotten that we're a team. You're sure you don't mind being home with the kids?" Kate was the one that left home to work. Rick was a writer who could work anywhere.

"I was Mr. Mom when Alexis was little, this is like old times and it feels good. Like I'm living again instead of just existing," he told her. Kate got up off her seat, stood behind him, wrapping an arm around him while still holding Alex as she kissed the back of his head. "I love you babe, more than you may ever know." Kate kissed his head again. Rick took a moment to turn his head. "I love you, too. I'll thank the gods or the aliens that I found you until the day I die." His declaration earned him a quick kiss from Kate.

"Where's Alexis?" Kate hadn't seen her since right after they started cruising for Greece. Rick pointed towards the bow of the yacht which got her to lift up to look out. Out in front was Alexis in a swimsuit soaking up the sun while lying on a towel. "I'll get the sunscreen." She patted his shoulders and headed for their bedroom to find the sunscreen to coat Alexis so she didn't burn.

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"Hi Mom," Kate greeted her mother who opened the door to their house in Athens. Kate immediately lost Alex to her mother as she scooped him out of her arms. "Hi Grams, where's Gramps?" Alexis wanted a treat.

"He's in the kitchen sweetie, making sure lunch doesn't burn and guarding the cookies from the cookie monster that's around here somewhere," Johanna told her. "Ναί!" Alexis shrieked then was off at a run to save the cookies since her grams made the best cookies. "You're sure that little girl used to be a cat?" Johanna still didn't understand.

"I know it's hard Mom, but yeah, she's the same Alexis. I thought I loved her as a cat but I love her even more now. Does that make me bad?" Kate was a little ashamed about how the child Alexis now had more of her heart than Alexis the cat had.

"You're doing fine Katie. You have a daughter and a son, something I'm still trying to deal with. It was just over a year ago when you were missing and we had little hope of ever seeing you again. Now my little girl is married and has a family." Johanna blinked back tears. So much had changed.

"I'm going to go rescue the cookies from Alexis and put the bottles in the refrigerator." Rick kissed Kate and headed for the kitchen.

They were staying for the week and were actually thinking of doing some sightseeing. Maybe even get her parents onto their boat and go somewhere for a couple of days.

"How's Dad?" Kate asked after a time with Johanna still holding a now sleeping Alex. She couldn't help but stroke a finger over his pudgy little face and kiss his head.

"I think he's adapting better than me. I know his Greek is better than mine. Which reminds me, we have a class together in the morning. I forgot to mention that earlier, sorry," Johanna said. Kate waved off her apology.

"How's work? Is the Greek legal system that much different?" Kate asked hoping that her parents moving here because of them hadn't hurt them much financially. "Actually we both have more work than we know what to do with. We're lucky we have the chance to take this week off together. Did you know the office we selected was in the same building as two foreign embassies? They found out about us being in the same building and now they both use Jim exclusively. His Greek has gotten pretty good and since he knows the US corporate legal system, he's handling everything for them here in Greece as well as in the States." Johanna actually giggled a little. "He even has a case dealing with his old law firm in New York."

Kate started laughing. "I'll bet that came as a surprise. I take it that his office didn't take his sudden resignation badly?" she inquired since she hadn't as yet heard anything about it. "I know you and Rick were behind that. That state department letter really got them to shut-up. You're going to tell me what the hell is going on Katie. One day you're going to tell me everything." Johanna was holding her tongue but it wasn't easy for her.

"Yeah, about that. …RICK, BABE, can you and Dad come in here please?" Kate called which got Johanna to catch her breath and stare at Kate.

"This better be quick or Alexis is going to eat all of the cookies," Rick announced as he entered with Jim right behind him.

"We're going to take you and dad down to the Lady tonight after dinner. We have something to show you and a whole lot to tell you. You're going to need to pack for a few days as well since we'll be staying on-board. Maybe we'll even sail over to Istanbul for a couple of days." Kate was really looking forward to seeing Istanbul again. Maybe she could talk Rick into getting them a vacation home there one of these days.

Besides she still needed to find someplace for Rick to be taught how to cook Turkish food. It was her new favorite food. Even Alex had liked it when he was just a baby bump.

"You mean…" Johanna didn't dare ask or even hope that she was going to get her wish. "We asked permission and were granted approval to tell you everything. Just know that if you agree, you _cannot_ speak a word of this to anyone. It will literally cost you your lives if you do. Instantly, very, very instantly," Kate somberly informed them along with the warning.

Actually Rick and Kate had gotten a chance to speak with Key while on their honeymoon with Alexis as a little girl. It had taken her three days to get back to them with their answer and the grave warning.

"You two are going to need to keep a very open mind for what you are about to see and hear. A very open mind," Rick warned them. "PUMPKIN?" he called and Alexis was quickly standing next to him with a cookie in her hand.

"We're going down to the Lady tonight; we'll show Gramps and Grams B5 and explain everything. Then we're going to go sailing," Rick informed her. Alexis lifted her arms up into the air. "YAY!"

"We're not going to sink are we?" she asked worriedly. Alexis somehow was yet deathly afraid of the water and still hated dogs with a passion unrivaled by anything.

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They were all walking down to the marina to get on the boat with Johanna way out in front carrying Alex still since she wanted answers and was finally going to get them, and she didn't have to wait till she was on her death bed. "I don't know if this is going to make my mother, ..." Kate stops when her finger starts pulsing again.

Kate sees Rick hold up his hand to look at his finger. "You too?" Kate asks him. Rick nods his head. "We've got another mission." Rick comments. "Or its a continuation of the old one." Rick adds.

"If it is then I'm glad we continued with the move. No one should know that we're out here." Kate points out. "I do miss Maddie though. She's been a good friend. She helped me get you." Kate takes a hold of Rick's arm as they walk.

"Σε αγαπώ." Rick tells her.

"Σ 'αγαπώ πάρα πολύ." Kate answers back and leans into him.


End file.
